Luxury Travel Advisor - August 2008 - (Page 14)

stop for a post-drive dinner at Mama’s Fish House (www. mamasfishhouse.com) upon returning to town, making certain to call for reservations first. Recommend that clients curb a raging appetite with the lobster guacamole starter and a local fish dish for their entrée. Luxury travel advisors should note that times of high occupancy at Grand Wailea include Christmas, New Year’s, June through August and Spring Break season, during all of which the resort provides extra activities for kids and teens. Plan to book at least seven to nine months in advance, and advise clients that, typically, a minimum five-night stay is required then. We found the third and final hotel on our itinerary, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa (www.westin maui.com) in Ka’anapali, the most popular for hip Gen-Y guests and young families, likely thanks to the hotel’s centerpiece, an 87,000square-foot system of tiered swimming pools complete with water slides and adults-only areas. Premium Deluxe Ocean View Rooms in the recently refur- bished Beach Tower are among the most popular room choices. Rooms with numbers ending in 89 (king-size beds) and 90 (double beds) on the fifth through 10th floors afford panoramic views of the hotel’s five pools, its lush grounds and the Pacific Ocean and Ka’anapali Beach. Hotel staff suggests booking Executive Suites in the Ocean Tower for families. The 700square-foot, one-bedroom suites include separate living areas that connect to an additional guest room, making two-bedroom suites. When booking, request room numbers ending with 9 and 11, 13 and 15, 41 and 43, 45 and 47, 53 and 55. Note, too, that these suites can be booked as one-bedroom suites. The best rooms on offer at the Westin are its 10 oceanfront Luxury Suites, which feature wrap-around balconies for the most inclusive views. Each of the 1,320-squarefoot suites comprises one master bedroom, one and a half baths, a separate living area with a wet bar and a four-person dining area. When booking, ask Director of Leisure Sales Roger Bright (roger.bright@westinmaui.com; 808-661-2506) to arrange a private butler for a full-service stay. For a worthwhile treat, suggest a stop at the Heavenly Spa by Westin, our favorite spot in the hotel. We chilled out in the oceanview relaxation room before meeting our therapist, Jamie, for the in-demand Island Lavender Body Butter treatment. Tip: Try to snag lead therapist Anne Friedman for massage services and lead esthetician Terri Abay-Abay for facials and other skincare services. Contact a member of the spa reservations staff (thespamaui@westin.com; 808-661-2588) to book treatments 24 to 48 hours in advance. Spa Manager Du Nguyen (du. nguyen@westin.com; 808-6612930) can make sure extraspecial clients are treated as such. In addition to the hotel’s pool and spa, activities include surfing, snorkeling and para-sailing off of Ka’anapali Beach; zip-lining, eco-adventures and scuba diving off of Molokini; horseback riding through pineapple plantation fields; whale-watching excursions (November to April); private sunset champagne cruises; and kid-specific options like slide races and s’moremaking. Luxury travel advisors can reach out to Concierge Jane Arruda (jane.arruda@westin. com; 808-661-2108), who works closely with the resort’s Director of Fun, Jack Stone, to customize each guest’s experience. There’s also complimentary regular shuttle service to Lahaina town, a bustling area that’s rife with art galleries, shops and restaurants. Enlist Arruda to assist with your clients’ dining plans. Options at the Westin are designed to cater to a variety of tastes: Our favorite venue was the poolside Ono Bar & Grill. In the open-air lobby, the Colonnade Café serves smoothies, light bites and snacks, and the signature oceanfront Tropica serves up a variety of surf ‘n’ turf dishes and seafood specialties. Note: Hotel staff say reservations are encouraged at Tropica. Private-cabana dining is available for sunrise champagne breakfasts and Ka’anapali sunset dinners, complete with private butler service (reservations 72 hours in advance are required). The lit up lobby colonnade at the WESTIN MAUI provides the perfect setting to toast the evening. 14 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | August 2008 http://www.mamasfishhouse.com http://www.mamasfishhouse.com http://www.westinmaui.com http://www.westinmaui.com

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

Luxury Travel Advisor - August 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Maui Dubai Cape Town The Capella Resort and Spa, at Pedregal Cabo San Lucas Ritz-Carlton Cancun Presidential Suites The Palazzo, Las Vegas The Water Club Arrabelle at Vail Square Ferntree The Spa at Half Moon Fall Foliage Cruises New England Strong Travel On the Horizon: Luxury Travel Expo The Pulse Traveling Shopper Leaders Speak Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - August 2008

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