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Tags: Swimsuit Issue Hotels / Raffles Resorts / Bar Refaeli / Canouan Island Hotels / → All Tags

Raffles Canouan Island Is One Lucky Hotel

Where: Canouan Island, Saint Vincent & Grenadines

By now we all now that Bar Refaeli is 2009's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl. If you didn't know that, then you live in a cave on Mars. But what you probably didn't know was that Bar was sharing the shot with someone else--Canouan Island.

Of course, our inquiring minds wanted to know where the models stayed. Fortunately for us, SI gave the Raffles Canouan Island Resort a shout-out on their Swimsuit Issue website. And even better, we got more scoop from the hotel's PR firm:

Five of Sports Illustrated's top models traveled to Canouan Island including Bar Refaeli, Brooklyn Decker, Jessica White, Jarah Mariano and Hilary Rhoda. Raffles Canouan provided an idyllic setting for [photographer] Raphael Mazzucco, as the cover shot of Bar Refaeli was taken on the beach.

The hotel is now offering a package based on the Swimsuit Issue called The Canouan Island Un-Covered package.

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Tags: Caribbean Hotels / Royal Hotel Stays / Prince William / Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags

Prince Wills and Kate Frolic at the Firefly Hotel in Mustique

Where: Mustique Island, Saint Vincent & Grenadines

So where do a prince and his special girlfriend go when they're utterly sick of being followed around? Apparently, the answer is Mustique Island in St Vincent & The Grenadines where Prince William and Kate Middleton recently spent two weeks enjoying each other's company without too much media around.

A bunch of celebrities own villas on this very private island, or you can stay at the Firefly Hotel with its five unique rooms. If Wills crashed here it would have been in the Royal Palm room, which at current off-peak rates goes for $950 per night (including all meals and your own golf cart for getting around).

They also would've had their own iPod and docking station with the iPod "fully loaded with specially selected music": but just what music does one select for a Prince who's holidaying in the Caribbean?

[Photo: TravelingexpatsIndia]

Tags: Summer Hotel Deals / Raffles Hotels / → All Tags

Raffles Resort Drops the Cost for Summer

Where: Canouan Island, Saint Vincent & Grenadines

A while back we were griping that the luxury Raffles Resort Canouan Island (and its golf course) was a bit pricey at $455 a night during summer (and almost a hundred bucks more in winter). But the Raffles has come through with a summer special that's quite a bit more reasonable.

The promoters claim that the Summer Getaway special rates for this resort are a saving of 56% per cent, although we're not exactly sure where they get that figure. In any case, the rates for summer (through to September 18) are now starting at $360 a night in a double, for a minimum of three nights, plus you get a full buffet breakfast each day, airport transfers and non-alcoholic drinks in the mini-bar all included.

What they don't do is help you out with any tips on surviving the world's most demanding golf course; we can only hope that a satisfying buffet breakfast will at least give you the energy to get around the course, and at least you won't be paying so much.

[Photo: MSBonBon]

Tags: Honeymoon Hotels / Island Hotels / Google Earth Hotels / Windward Islands / → All Tags

Google Earth Hotel Reviews: Petit St. Vincent Resort

Where: Petit St. Vincent, Saint Vincent & Grenadines

If you live here in the Northeast, you woke up to freezing rain and general malaise inducing weather this morning. It is times like these where we thank our lucky stars for Google Earth, which has a habit of transporting us to a far away place like Petit St. Vincent Resort, a island resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

This maritime, on the edge of kitsch, resort was conceived by Hazen K. Richardson. As we understand it, Hazen was living in New England and made a habit of escaping to the Caribbean every winter. He made a living sailing blue blooded rich dudes around the Windward Islands on his boat during the winter months. In the middle of one voyage, he pointed out an 111 acre island to a particularly wealthy client and made an off handed comment about what a great resort the deserted island would make. The monie-up New Englander almost challenged Hazen, suggesting he put the money up for Hazen to create and run such a resort. Mr. Richardson, not one to let golden opportunities slide by, jumped at the offer, and with the help of architect Arne Hasselquist, created a unique self-contained 22 cottage colony paradise.

The stone cottages are peppered throughout the island, some on hillsides, some tucked behind private beaches, and most with great views. Each cottage has plenty of space, an outdoor deck, and a hammock. Most importantly, every cottage comes equipped with its own flagpole. Raise the red flag and the golf cart traveling staff won't go anywhere near your cottage, raise the yellow flag and the staff will drive up and fulfill most any request. Kind of puts a luxury twist on the old sock on the door policy does it not?

The only way to reach PSV and the resort is by boat, where Mr. Richardson and his wife will personally greet you and hand you a drink when you arrive on the lone island dock. The owners also are likely to invite you up to their gorgeous island home for a drink at some point during your stay.

The resort is all inclusive and each meal can be enjoyed in a common area, up in your stone cottage, or delivered to you on the beach. While the food is not five star, and you aren't going to find any flat screen televisions in the cottages, this is the kind of place where if you fall for it, you will fall hard, wanting to return over and over again. Count us among that set.

One more pic post jump.

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Tags: Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags

Mick Jagger's Marriage Tricks And The Villa Mustique

Where: Saint Vincent & Grenadines

Remember a few years back when Mick Jagger was tangled in divorce proceedings with his wife of 25 years Jerri Hall? Sir Mick and his lawyers claimed that despite many years of marriage, and sharing children, since the two were married in Bali, they were never really married. Sure they were married in Bali, but Bali marriages don't really count worldwide...do they?

So it should come as no surprise that Mick likes to keep villa residences in tropical locales with loose marriage laws worldwide.

One of our favorite "Mick Jagger Resorts" is Villa Mustique in the Caribbean.

Located directly on the beach, this Japanese-inspired designer home is great for entertaining, relaxing, or gettin' hitched--Mick style.

Hot tub, sun deck, pool, pond, croquet court, this four bedroom villa has it all, and it can be yours for a week. In order to secure your key to the villa you must be willing to pay over  $10,000 ($1,000 a week if ten share) and have your application personally approved by the legendary frontman. Yup, that's right, according to Villas of the World, Mick himself reads over every application. Our advice?  Send in your headshots ladies, he may be well in to his sixties, but he ain't dead yet.

Good luck.

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