Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 - (Page 18)

ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBÁ' s accommoda- tions are all on the dazzling blue water. a fine cigar and aged tequila. Contact Oscar Molina, director of sales (omolina@mohg.com; 52-984-877-3251) to book your most-cherished clients. To secure a private tour guide and to make other special requests, Chief Concierge Ernesto Carvajal (ecarvajal@mohg.com; 52-984-877-3294) is your go-to guy. The Tides Riviera Maya (www.tidesrivi eramaya.com) is an eco-chic boutique property with 30 individual palapa villas, made of mahogany and stone and with thatched roofs, in dense jungle gardens for total tropical immersion and privacy. All accommodations at this adults-only property are one-bedrooms and have secluded plunge pools, outdoor showers and terraces with crocheted hammocks. Interiors feature Mayan aesthetics; the centerpiece is the canopied king beds with 500-thread-count sateen sheets and hand-embroidered down pillows. For special guests, arrange for the enhanced service at the Royal Villas, with a mayordomo (personal butler) trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers to take care of details and personalize stays with a pre-arrival call. Aromatherapy and gourmet treats are nice perks, and scattered flower petals are included in the turndown service. Send VIP clients to the 2,000-square-foot Presidential Villa, with a living area and swimming pool on the ground level and a spiral wooden staircase to the master bedroom flanked by a terrace. Contact Kamille Swenson (kamille.swen son@thetidesresorts.com; 323-930-3876), sales coordinator, for VIP bookings and special requests. Exclusive options include yacht charters, heli-tours of Mayan ruins, exotic car rentals, such as a Porsche Boxster or SLR McLaren, and airport transfers in a 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. Dining at The Tides is equally exclusive with the ª Dine Any Time, Anywhereº policy. Guests can choose to be served breakfast in bed, enjoy a torch-lit dinner on the beach or midnight munchies poolside at no additional charge. La Marea Restaurant faces the sea and the lights of Cozumel and offers Mediterranean/Mexican fusion cuisine with an extensive ceviche menu. Tell clients not to miss the seven-course Chef ' s Table. Hint: Suggest a tequila tasting in the Lounge, which features more than 100 tequila selections. At the Mayan Spa, herbs and mud are common elements of the treatments, such as the Volcano Body Treatment. We recommend the signature Hammock Massage at the Jungle Spa Suite next to a cenote, or the Fertility Rite for Two in the wooden Fertility Ritual House. ADVISOR INSIGHT: When Rosewood and Mandarin Oriental opened their doors in the Riviera Maya, they eliminated any lingering resistance to this destination for luxury travelers, according to Donna Guttman, vice president of #1 Travel in Merrick, NY. ª They legitimized it,º she says, adding that it is exciting to have something new to offer. Guttman says that for her high-end clients, it' s all about the quality of the rooms. She adds that her customers also expect excellent food, a nice spa and notable golf. Although some clients are happy to relax at the resort, many take in the Mayan ruins at Tulum, Coba or Chichen Itza. ª The Riviera Maya offers so much more than a typical Caribbean beach vacation,º she says. Excursions to Xcaret, a popular ecological site and resort, are a leading family activity, while couples head to Playa del Carmen for shopping and dining, says Guttman. She recommends Yaxche Maya Cuisine Restaurant (www.mayacuisine.com) for Yucatecan-European fusion cuisine, and John Gray' s Place for fresh fish and seafood. 18 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | May 2008 ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBÁ rooms are airy and contemporary (suite living room shown). http://www.tidesrivieramaya.com http://www.tidesrivieramaya.com http://www.mayacuisine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Park City Riviera Maya Italian Castles Rotorua China Villa Retreats The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt Rancho Bernardo Port Ghalib Dead Sea Spas Silversea The Professor The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.