HotelChatter - io

Warm Weather Hotels: Relaxing Views at Stonefield Estate

amandak — 2008-02-15T09:15:01-05:00

If you decide to vacation at the Stonefield Estate Villa Resort on St Lucia in the West Indies, the biggest problem will be trying to choose which of the 20 villas to stay in.

Recent guests who've left TripAdvisor reviews each have their very firm opinion that the villa they stayed in is the best ever--with names like Frangipani, Manchineel and Hibiscus (this pic shows the plunge pool at Hibiscus), there are various pros and cons to each, but all seem to have pretty good views.

Goodbye to Bargains: Rendezvous Bay to Become a Villa Site

Tim L. — 2007-02-21T14:48:54-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/rendezvous_bay.jpg" class="imgborder"> Fresh off our listing <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rendezvous+Bay+Hotel/local/273">Rendezvous Bay</a> in Anguilla as our <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/2/20/95848/1269/hotels/Good_Rate_Rendezvous_Bay_in_Anguilla">Good Rate on Tuesday</a>, we find out what that mysterious "ownership inquiry" link is all about... Rendezvous Bay Hotel & Villas is going all upscale ownership on us, jumping on the increasingly crowded market for fractional second homes and retirement villas in sunny places. According to a press release, the resort is planning "an unparalleled luxury resort with full ownership residences ranging from $3 to $20 million and fractional apartments from just $250,000." Yes, that means you pay a minimum of $250,000 but still have to work out when you are and are not allowed to stay there. And don't forget the maintenance fees!

Good Rate - Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla

Tim L. — 2007-02-20T11:25:43-05:00

<![CDATA[[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which is better worth your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quotes here were valid on February, 20 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.] <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/rendezvous_bay.jpg" class="imgborder"> It's never all that easy to find a bargain in the Caribbean, but on the island of Anguilla you're as likely to find a hotel room for $800 a night than one for half that. So we were happy to see one from here in Travel & Leisure's new rundown on affordable beach resorts--<a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rendezvous+Bay+Hotel/local/273">Rendezvous Bay Hotel</a>. The magazine's capsule review just says, "Spotless rooms with a funky B&B vibe," but with rates

Bad Rate - Cap Juluca Getting Tired, but at $520 to $1,785 a Night

Tim L. — 2007-02-20T11:25:25-05:00

<![CDATA[[Ed. Note: This is the Bad Rate in our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature. The rates quoted here were valid on February 20, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.] <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/cap_jaluca07.jpg" class="imgborder"> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Cap+Juluca/local/272">Cap Juluca</a> immediately showed up on all the lists of "the world's most expensive beach resorts" when it opened back in 1988 and it's still in the running today, with rates starting at $520 per night at this time of year for a room with no sea view and going up to $1,785 for a suite. But how long can a hotel go between renovations before the phrase "coasting on its reputation" comes up? It looks like it might be hitting that point as the negative reviews

Monsters of Luxe Take Grand Cayman

markj — 2005-10-24T14:21:15-05:00

<![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/rcgcbeach.jpg"> Every since 1995 we have had a strong aversion to the whole "Dream Team" moniker.  It was fine when it was a group of all-star bballers beating up on Lithuania, however, when "Dream Team" became a group of money hungry Hollywood lawyers helping OJ beat the rap, we disassociated. In any event, we would be remiss if we didn't dub the crew behind the new <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/grand_cayman/">Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton</a> something, so let's call 'em "the monsters of all that is luxe."  Eric Ripert is the celeb chef, Greg Norman designed the environmentally friendly nine whole golf course, Jean-Michel Cousteau is running aquatic education programs, and Nick Bollettieri will rule over the tennis program.  Not bad huh?