Recommend June 2014 - (Page 30)

Poolside at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Puerto Rico. terrace or patio, sofa, kitchenette, and electronics boasting 10,000 (count 'em) radio channels. The 1,500-sq.-ft. 1-bedroom features 1.5 baths, a washer-dryer, and a full kitchen with an espresso maker. No matter what their lodgings choice, newlyweds can dine en-suite, but the restaurants pack plenty of atmosphere, too: Parallel 23 offers white tablecloth dining in- and outdoors with an open kitchen, and at Plunge guests can not only drink but eat while sitting at the pool. Enhance romance with couples' treatments at the spa, designed by the ﬁrm that created Golden Door, and by sharing the Sunset Reﬂection ritual, a few moments of tranquility deriving from ancient Thai Ritual and Amerindian rites. Agents need to know that Junior Suites start at approximately $400, or $700 per couple ($852) with the all-inclusive option, and they really are lovely. For clients who spring for a 1-Bedroom Ocean Front Suite, rates start at $1,200 with breakfast, or $1,465 with the all-inclusive option. P.S. The Regent Palms has a honeymoon registry so guests can chip in on the happy couple's honeymoon costs. regentpalmstci.com san juan marriott resort & stellaris casino, puerto rico honeymoon havens for all sorts of lovebirds continued from page 28 Tiny Baoase has an on-staff guide (Carlos) to make sure guests experience the best of Curaçao, and in addition to TechnoGym gear in the ﬁtness center, Baoase can provide ﬁrst-rate yoga, Pilates, and other ﬁtness trainers as well as private scuba instructors. The Baoase Culinary Beach Restaurant & Bar offers reﬁned European, Asian, and Caribbean ﬂavors with a locavore accent. Of course, this resort has a helipad. Enhance romance with the 3-night Romance package ($2,600), which features extras such as roundtrip transfers, fresh ﬂowers and candles, breakfasts en-suite, a basket of chocolates, and a 60-minute massage on the beach. Agents need to know that although all the rooms have a modernism-meets-Asia vibe, no two are identical. For example, exactly one of the three Garden View Standard Rooms, the Banyan Tree Loft Room, has a kitchen. And whereas both the Honeymoon and Beach Front (both from around $840, including breakfast) suites offer private balconies and jacuzzis, the former occupies a large second ﬂoor space and features romantic garden views and ultimate privacy, while the latter, of course, features the Caribbean Sea. baoase.com regent palms, turks and caicos Ideal for newlyweds because of its total dedication to pampering and its location on Providenciales' Grace Bay Beach. The resort is a winner, starting with its 25,000-sq.-ft. spa, which Caribbean Journal just named one of the best in the islands. Other diversions include a ﬁne ﬁtness center, kayaks, snorkeling, HobieCat sailing, a Conch Kritters Club that keeps younger guests out of honeymooners' hair, lounging on Grace Bay Beach or at the serpentine inﬁnity pool, and tennis. The courts are lit for night play, although newlyweds may have other ideas for evening recreation. The primary decorating color in this 72-suite property is white, giving indoor spaces a stately, digniﬁed feel. The smallest suites in the place, the Junior Suites, are 640 sq. ft., and each has a private 30 june 2014 Ideal for newlyweds who want to go someplace where they won't need passports, can pay reasonable rates, and get to mix their beach time with a dose of salsa, sightseeing, gaming, or trendy restaurants. Or all of the above. The resort is a winner because of its prime location in San Juan's gentriﬁed Condado neighborhood, its accessibility to Old San Juan's historic grandeur, and the extensive room renovations completed this winter. In addition to the beach, this 525-unit high-rise has a pool, a separate children's pool (and water slide and game room), a ﬁtness center, spa and tennis courts. The neighborhood has several upmarket dance clubs, but this hotel's Red Coral Lounge, which has live music, DJs, and dancing at night, is impossible to resist. Guests can eat at La Isla Beach Bar, La Vista Latin Grill & Bar, the coffee shop or Wan Chai Noodle Bar. Or they can step out onto Ashford Avenue and eat at star chef Robert Treviño's restaurants (El Gitano tapas restaurant rocks!), among many other options. A cab ride into Old San Juan, with its great forts, museums and shops, only takes 10 or 15 minutes, but clean, uncrowded buses run regularly, too. A cab in the other direction (east) takes you to Los Piñones, a huge string of protected beaches with food vendors offering local specialties. Enhance romance by asking the concierge to arrange private salsa lessons or a private, candlelit dinner at La Vista Latin Grill. In Old San Juan, which is both safe and romantic at night, honeymooners should have dinner at Dragonﬂy, 311, or Marmalade. Agents need to know that even honeymooners are not going to spend a lot of time in their rooms, what with all the diversions of Condado and Old San Juan, but although room rates start as low as about $200, newlyweds should trade up to the oceanfront rooms (from roughly $250) for the views or the corner rooms ($300) or 1-bedroom suites ($310) for the views and space. marriott.com ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/ issue-archive): St. Vincent & the Grenadines (April 2014) recommend.com http://www.regentpalmstci.com http://www.baoase.com http://www.marriott.com http://www.recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive): http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend June 2014

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: Seattle’s The Edgewater Rocks
Tour Talk: Apple Leisure Group
Caribbean Weddings: Choices, Romance & More Choices
Honeymoon Havens for all Sorts of Lovebirds
Nuptials at Sea
Wild Honeymoons!
Latin America for Lovers
Colombia Travel Guide
A Fairy Tale Honeymoon
All-Inclusive Powerhouses
Iberostar Playa Mita
Let’s Get Hitched!
Romantic Retreats
Unforgettable Honeymoons a World Away

Recommend June 2014