hyatt regency coconut point resort & spa bonita …hyatt regency coconut point resort & spa...

HyATT REGENCy CoCoNuT PoINT RESoRT & SPABonita Springs, FloridaThis just may be the ultimate in romantic getaways. Located on 26 acres

of exquisitely manicured grounds and activity areas that overlook the

Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort

& Spa serves up an extraordinary stay. Select a simple overnight Amour

package and get all the romantic touches, including chocolate-covered

strawberries and a late checkout. Or grab a suite with a breathtaking

view of the bay and don’t come out until you’re good and ready! Take

advantage of in-room dining or make a reservation at the hotel’s AAA

Four-Diamond restaurant, Tanglewood, or one of the hotel’s other

restaurants, lounges and bars.

The activities available at this Hyatt are a perfect complement to a

perfect hotel. Take a dolphin-watching eco-tour at sunset, slide down a

140-foot water slide, play golf at the world-class Raptor Bay Golf Club,

visit the Stillwater Spa, work out in the hotel’s fitness center and cardio

theater, play tennis, explore the coastline by kayak…. When you’re

ready to leave the wonderful cocoon of the Coconut Point Resort,

there are limitless possibilities for road trips, like a tour through the

Everglades, a jaunt through lots of great shopping areas, an adventure

through Thomas Edison’s and Henry Ford’s winter estates, a trip to

see a semipro hockey game at the Germain Arena, a lucky run at the

Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track, a tasting at the Eden Vineyards

Winery and on and on.

You also get a great feeling from knowing this hotel has been

awarded the highest accreditation by the state of Florida’s Green

Lodge Program. The Coconut Point Resort makes a substantial

effort to conserve and protect the area’s natural resources, and

that’s a good thing.

Check the website for packages or great last-minute deals at

CoconutPoint.Hyatt.com or call 239.444.1234. Arrivals: Naples

Municipal Airport (APF).

It’s far too easy to get caught under an avalanche of responsibilities, commitments and appointments, so much so that the most important things in our lives get overlooked – like love.

Romantic8 most

resortsJanuary/February 2010 Flying Adventures | 25

by Francois Lautreamont

26 | Flying Adventures January/February 2010

AlISAl GuEST RANCH & RESoRTSolvang, CaliforniaThis unique California ranch is written in romance. Clark Gable was

married here, and Doris Day and lots of Hollywood A-listers were and

are regulars. Deer mingle with herds of cattle and horses that still

roam the ranch’s 10,500 acres, much as they did in the time of the

Spanish conquistadors, except now there’s some fencing to keep them

off the golf course.

The Alisal has an abundance of great reasons to go and visit. In

addition to the 73 cottages and spacious suites, the six tennis courts,

the 100-acre spring-fed lake, the two par-72 golf courses, the spa, the

restaurants and a string of related pastimes, the Alisal offers unique

activities. Come for the Cowboy Ethics Bootcamp, the Mother-

Daughter Cowgirl Bootcamp, the Couples Bootcamp, the Signature

Spa Package, the Golf Getaway and more. Since Valentine’s Day is

approaching, consider the Alisal’s Wine & Roses Romance Package.

Sip champagne in front of a glowing fire in your cottage or nibble on

chocolate truffles. Glide across the lake together in a canoe or lope the

landscape on horseback. Play golf, tennis — it’s all included. Then top

it off with a couples’ massage. There’s no better place to fall in love, or

fall back in love, than the Alisal.

For more, visit Alisal.com or call 800.4.ALISAL. Arrivals: Santa

Ynez Airport (IZA).

PoSEIDoN uNDERSEA RESoRTPoseidon Mystery Island, FijiLet your love come bubbling up at this one-of-a-kind resort opening

next year in Fiji. It’s underwater. Forty feet underwater. On purpose.

There’s nothing quite like this. While there are underwater habitats

available (typically converted research stations), Poseidon Undersea

Resort is exactly that — a resort built on the bottom of the crystal-clear

Fijian Sea. Visitors take an elevator to their suite, 70% of which is made

of clear, four-inch-thick acrylic. The resort will feature 22 550-square-

foot guest rooms. Each of these rooms has a 270-degree view of the

ocean. Underwater suites feature king-sized beds with Scandinavian

down duvets and high-thread-count linens. There’s also a sitting room

with a library and WiFi Internet connectivity, HDTV, gourmet foods,

spirits and wines. Each end of the resort will be composed of a 3,000-

square-foot, Frisbee-shaped, underwater pod. One of these pods will

be composed of an underwater restaurant and bar while the other will

contain a library, conference room, wedding chapel, spa and a 1,200-

square-foot luxury suite. The entire underwater enclosure will be held

at 1 atmosphere of pressure, so decompression sickness isn’t a concern.

Other features include automatic window washers, fish feeders and

detachable pods in case repairs are necessary.

8 Most RoMantIc ResoRts


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Bluff ’s GM Rob Sherman the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year award

on several occasions. The founder of Curtain Bluff, Howard Hulford,

told me before his passing last year, “We have a premium product. We

charge a fair price. Then we give till it hurts. We never stop looking

for ways to exceed a couple’s expectations. That way they’ll always

have a better vacation here than anywhere else — and they’ll always

come back.”

There was no arguing with Mr. Hulford’s recipe for success — or his

blueprint for romance.

For more, visit CurtainBluff.com or call 268.462.8400. Arrivals:

V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU).

lIBRARy HoTElNew York, New YorkSo you’ve ended up with an egghead as your partner. A person who’s

prone to reading books as opposed to hauling up onto the coach for

Monday Night Football. Well, here’s the perfect spot for your next

romantic getaway — the Library Hotel in the Big Apple. It’s a landmark

1900 brick-and-terra-cotta structure, with each of its guestroom floors

dedicated to the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal System!

Select from Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math &

Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts and

Religion. It’s cerebral heaven!

The deluxe rooms come complete with Belgian chocolates, bottled

spring water, all expected high-tech amenities (including an in-room

T1 line) and a DVD player, with access to the top-100 films from the

American Film Institute. Your stay also includes a continental breakfast,

wine and cheese each evening and an all-day complimentary menu

of refreshments like international coffees, cappuccino, espresso, teas,

fruit and cookies. When you’ve finished your morning newspaper,

burn off some calories at the New York Sports Club (included in your

stay) or walk three blocks to Times Square and the Theater District.

If your partner makes it through all the books in your room, the New

York Public Library is next door!

For more, go to LibraryHotel.com or call 212.983.4500.

Arrivals: LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

A typical stay includes two nights underwater and then four more

nights in a topside five-star hotel. If you get tired of golf and tennis,

try an adventure aboard the resort’s 16-passenger submarine that’s

capable of showing you the sea floor at depths to 300 feet. And if that’s

not enough, be trained to pilot a small, personal Triton submarine

and explore at depths to 1,000 feet. For added romance, Poseidon

Undersea Resort will give you and your beloved a diving helmet for

private walks along the sea floor.

Reservations are being accepted now at PoseidonResorts.com.

Arrivals: Nadi Fiji International Airport (NAN).

CuRTAIN BluFF RESoRT AntiguaWith two beaches and a couple of restaurants producing fantastic

food and offering 25,000 bottles of wine from the cellar, Curtain Bluff

Resort may sound like any other Caribbean resort targeted to the rich

and famous. Like its “competition,” it has a world-class spa, a gym,

beachside cabanas, lots of activities and a long track record of making

its guests feel special. What places this 30-acre retreat on a peninsula

on Antigua’s south shore at the top of the romance list is a unique

element whose contribution to relaxation can’t be overstated.

Romance is where you go to fall in love, be in love or fall back in

love. Romance is nurtured in an environment that’s healthy, sultry,

friendly, humorous and hand-in-hand. Romance is simple, romance

is delicious.

Whether rich or poor, nothing kills romance on a vacation faster

than when your peace and tranquility, let alone enthusiasm for the

moment (a key to romance), is repeatedly interrupted by the “business”

of relaxation. Bottled water? Cha-ching! Beach towel?

Cha-ching! Mai tai? Cha-ching! Lunch? Cha-ching!

Dinner? Double-cha-ching! Every time you turn

around, you sign for something and ask yourself, “Was

that really worth it?”

And therein lays the beauty of Curtain Bluff: It’s

one of the few true luxury “all-inclusive” resorts, a

recreational sanctuary that encourages your attention,

your spirit and your passion to remain rooted in the

idyllic present. It’s one of the few resorts in the world

where, for the entirety of your stay, you’ll never be

interrupted with the hotel’s needs as you and your

mate share the island’s best scenery, cocktails, food,

accommodations, activities and (unarguably) the

Caribbean’s most friendly and attentive staff.

So what’s included? All of your food, your

cocktails, your (Burgundian) wines by the glass,

your water sports (including scuba diving and deep

sea fishing), the tennis courts, the cocktail parties,

the yoga classes, the gym and infinitely more. What

isn’t? Just a few sensible things: the luxurious spa

treatments, lessons from the delightful tennis staff,

the day-sailing charters upon the resort’s yacht and,

unfortunately, access to the aforementioned 25,000

bottles of wine.

Curtain Bluff is one place on Earth where you can

have whatever you want — almost as good as it can be

— without interruption. And the standards of service

aren’t just admirable but enviable, having won Curtin

January/February 2010 Flying Adventures | 29 28 | Flying Adventures January/February 2010

“Love is most nearly itself when

here and now cease to matter.” — T.S. ELIOT

PoSEIDoN uNDERSEA RESoRT

lIBRARy HoTElCuRTAI N BluFF


30 | Flying Adventures January/February 2010 More Outdoor Activities at FlyingAdventures.com/sports

BAoASE luxuRy RESoRTCuraçao, the Netherlands AntillesIt’s a brand-new resort with 11 luxurious rooms. Talk about

personal attention!

Colorful tropical fish swim around your feet as you walk your private

beachfront on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Air and

water temperatures are roughly identical. Baoase Luxury Resort is the

dream we all share about everything a tropical getaway should be.

The resort’s villas are all luxurious, almost to a fault. All offer indoor

and outdoor audio systems, flat-screens, DVD players, Dolby surround-

sound systems, free wireless connections and fully equipped kitchens.

There are also unrestricted views of the sea, beach and infinity pool,

all surrounded by tropical gardens.

Three suites are available, two oceanfront and one ocean view, all

perfect for romance. Private well-being treatments, romantic dinners

for two in the privacy of your suite and excursions around the island

can be booked — all you have to do is

say when. After you’re fully rested, ask

the Baoase concierge for directions to the

nearby Curaçao Sea Aquarium and Dolphin

Academy (yes, you can swim with live dolphins). Or take a helicopter

ride to get a bird’s-eye view of the island. Or take a submarine ride to

see yellowtail snapper, sergeant majors, parrotfish and queen angelfish,

as well as delicate colonies of coral that were thousands of years in the

making. The possibilities for fun and romance are limitless.

For more information, visit Baoase.com or call 888.409.3506.

Arrivals: Hato International Airport (CUR).

WINvIANLitchfield Hills, ConnecticutThis is one of the best getaways we know of. Winvian stretches over

113 acres of magical woods and water. There are 18 distinct cottages,

designed by 15 different architects. Each has its own flavor and

fantasy, encouraging you to linger and love. There’s a cottage dedicated

to music, another is a tree house, and for pilots, why not stay in a

luxuriously remodeled helicopter?

Not a reproduction, this retired 17,000-pound U.S. Coast Guard

helicopter has been painstaking brought back to life. All the lights

and bells and buzzers work at your discretion. The main fuselage now

features a relaxing sofa in front of a high-definition television, a wet bar

and a refrigerator to keep you fed. Should you run low on provisions,

however, try a short walk to the main house and have dinner with Chef

Chris Eddy, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. Eddy collects

the best of local fare and transforms it into world-class cuisine. Black

truffles, anyone?


When you feel like a change of venue from your helicopter, Winvian

is happy to arrange seasonal activities, such as horseback riding,

hot-air ballooning, clay-pigeon shooting, glass blowing, car racing,

canoeing, golf, tennis and fly fishing. For shopping excursions into

nearby Litchfield, the resort offers complimentary access to a late-

model Mercedes-Benz.

Get the complete picture at Winvian.com or call 860.567.9600.

Arrivals: Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC).

WIGWAM MoTElRialto, CaliforniaNothing makes up a better road trip than getting your kicks on

Route 66.

In the 1930s, the imagination of Frank Redford produced a teepee-

style building in Horse City, Kentucky, as a location to display his

collection of Native American artifacts. His patented design proved so

popular that a total of seven Wigwam Motels were built, most along

the Mother Road, America’s famous Route 66. Today, only three of the

historic motels remain.

Wigwam Motel No. 7 is located in Rialto, California, just

outside the San Bernardino city limits. It consists of 19 30-foot-tall

teepees made from wood framing, concrete and stucco. Interiors

are approximately 25 feet wide with a pair of windows, a bed and

a bathroom. Like each of the original seven Wigwam Motels, the

property also includes a grassy area, a barbeque, a kidney-shaped

swimming pool and a gift shop to help you bring home the real deal

when it comes to Route 66 souvenirs.

The area around Wigwam Motel No. 7 is rich with culture and

additional sightseeing opportunities. Within a few minutes’ drive, for

example, is the home of the Golden Arches, the very first McDonald’s

restaurant. The original drive-in was built in the mid-1940s, a decade

before franchising genius Ray Kroc became involved. Travelers

along Route 66 could stop for a 15-cent hamburger, 10-cent fries

and milkshakes “made from real ice cream,” all served with fast, fast

service. A museum now stands at the original location to honor the

birthplace of fast food.

For more, go to WigwamMotel.com or call 909.875.3005. Arrivals:

San Bernardino International Airport (SBD).

“Age does not protect us from

love, but love to some extent

protects us from age.”— UNKNOWN

BAoASE luxuRy RESoRT

January/February 2010 Flying Adventures | 31

WIGWAM HoTElWINvIAN


FA

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hyatt regency coconut point resort & spa bonita …hyatt regency coconut point resort & spa...

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