Milestone Hotel & Suites (London) - Review

Please check out the article I wrote for Lowfares.com about the gorgeous Milestone Hotel & Suites in London. If you're planning a trip to the UK, consider a stay at this fine hotel. Check here to read the article.

St. Lucia - A Wonderful Vacation Destination in the Caribbean

While I've had the opportunity to travel to most of the Caribbean in recent years, only a few destinations have stuck out in my mind as being favorites, and one of those destinations in St. Lucia. The island was absolutely beautiful, the locals are incredibly friendly, plus there were so many exciting and memorable things to do.

Direct flights to St. Lucia are affordable, and available from several East Coast cities, including New York City and Miami. Plus, you can choose from a wide range of resort (and all-inclusive resort accommodations) at various price points. The thing to remember, however, is that you should always be on the lookout for money-saving packages or special promotions when visiting any Caribbean destination, such as St. Lucia. Simply by searching the web, you can easily find incredible deals at places like the all-inclusive Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa (866-978-6226, www.cbayresort.com).

With its 254 guest rooms and suites, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is truly an all-inclusive resort destination. Yes, everything - including activities, all dining, drinks, access to the private beach and pools, entertainment, etc.) is really included (with very few up-charges or additional fees). The resort offers an amazing kids program, multiple swimming pools, a gorgeous private beach, tennis, an entire building dedicated exclusively to adult accommodations (plus a separate building with family-friendly accommodations), a lovely spa, several on-property fine-dining restaurants, plus plenty of on-property and nearby activities. All of the resort's buildings are also wired with Wi-Fi, and the guest rooms have cable TV.

Another great thing about this resort is its proximity to the airport. While many of the resorts on St. Lucia are located up to a one hour drive from the airport, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is located about five minutes from the airport. So, you can literally get off the airplane, collect your luggage, and be on the beach or sunbathing at the pool in well under an hour.

Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is a beautiful, three-star resort. It's not over-the-top luxurious, but it is extremely clean, comfortable and very nicely equipped, plus the service is top-notch. Up until about five years ago, the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa was a Club Med property, however, it's now under new ownership. Over the past few years, the resort has undergone massive renovations, and new additions are constantly being added.

This is a great family-friendly destination, or a perfect destination wedding or honeymoon resort. Thanks to the function space, it can also be used for business meetings or retreats.

One of the really special things about Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is that it's home to 2 Elements - a kite-surfing and windsurfing school that's one of the very best in the world. In fact, the exact location where this resort is located is considered one of the world's top kite surfing hot spots, because of the perfect combination of wind, water and beaches.

If you want to learn how to kite surf, expert private instruction is available. Plan on investing about 10 hours during a five day period into lessons (at an additional cost of $400.00), after which you will be able to kite surf! This is one of the few resorts in the world that has its own kite surfing school right on the premises. If you're not sure this sport is for you, you can sign up for a free kite surfing introductory lesson, or watch expert kite surfers do their thing right from the resort's private beach.

When you're ready to explore St. Lucia, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has teamed up with a handful of top-notch local tour operators, for sightseeing, scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, off-roading on an ATV, windsurfing, bicycling, boating, and zip lining - all of which are available on St. Lucia (within a 5 to 30 minute drive from the resort). And, if you sign up for a tour through the resort, all transportation is arranged on your behalf.

In terms of sightseeing, St. Lucia offers some incredible places to visit, from historic fishing villages, to a tropical rainforest. There are also mineral baths and sulphur springs, a volcano, incredible water falls, a wildlife preserve, the Piton mountains, and botanical gardens, all of which are well worth visiting.

As you plan a trip to St. Lucia, you'll definitely want to spend at least five to seven days here, so choosing an all-inclusive resort, like Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, makes perfect financial sense when it comes to planning the budget for your trip, since you know the majority of your food, drinks and on-property activities will be included. If you're traveling with kids, they'll absolutely love the Kids Klub, which offers supervised camp-like activities, an on-property water park, plus a playground (all included in the resort's all-inclusive price.)

To find the best deals for the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, check their website, or visit one of the popular online travel services, like Hotwire.com or Travelocity.com. Discounts on accommodations, guest room upgrades, and free resort credits, are among the special deals you'll find online.

Compared to all of the other potential Caribbean destinations you can visit, St. Lucia is definitely one of the very best and most affordable. Yet, the accommodations, food, service, and selection of activities are all excellent. It really is the perfect, tropical destination for a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a honeymoon or even a destination wedding. So, if you're thinking about taking a trip to the Caribbean, seriously consider St. Lucia as your destination. You won't be disappointed!

Photos (c)2010 Jason R. Rich. All rights reserved.

Puntacana Resort & Club's Tortuga Bay in the Dominican Republic Offers The Ultimate Caribbean Getaway

If you're looking for an up-scale, ultra-luxurious, extremely beautiful, modern, well-equipped and easy-to-reach Caribbean resort getaway, check out Puntacana Resort & Club's Tortuga Bay (888-442-2262) in the Dominican Republic.

Designed by Oscar de la Renta, this resort offers a stunning oceanfront setting, plus all of the amenities and activities you could ask for - from multiple golf courses, to horseback riding, water sports, boating, a spa, a well-equipped fitness center, tennis courts, and eight fine-dining restaurants.

Tortuga Bay is an ultra-exclusive resort within the larger Puntacana Resort. It includes only 15 one, two, three or four bedroom villas (just steps from the beach) which offer privacy, security and five-star luxury, plus plenty of modern amenities.

Located in the Dominican Republic, Puntacana Resort & Club's Tortuga Bay is situated on 15,000 acres of private land located less than 10 minutes from the world's only privately-owned international airport.

Direct flights to Punta Cana are offered by several major airlines from a handful of east coast cities. From New York's JFK Airport, for example, the direct flight takes under four hours. (It's as easy as flying from New York to Florida or Puerto Rico, for example.) Guests of Toruga Bay are literally met at their airplane's door upon landing and escorted to their villa in under 20 minutes.

Toruga Bay is a perfect honeymoon destination or a wonderful place for adults to go for a romantic and fun-filled getaway. It's also a great vacation destination for serious golfers, as well as ideal for families traveling with kids and teens. A wide range of family-friendly activities, services and amenities are offered on-property. The secluded white sandy beaches create a beautiful, tropical setting which is nicely combined with immaculate landscaping and surrounded by several pristine (and award-winning) golf courses.

I just returned from a trip to Toruga Bay and can't recommend this resort highly enough. Having toured throughout the entire Caribbean multiple times over the past few years, I can honestly say that this resort offers the most luxurious, modern and comfortable accommodations I have encountered anywhere in the Caribbean. The friendly and efficient service is unparalleled.

While Tortuga Bay offers the ultimate in upscale resort accommodations, the 355-room Puntacana Hotel offers more affordable accommodations located on the same 23-square-mile property.

Yes, the Dominican Republic is a Spanish speaking country with its own currency, but you'll find most everyone at the Puntacana Resort & Club speaks fluent English and the U.S. dollar is widely accepted. High-speed Internet access, satellite television, cell phone reception and traditional phone services are readily available throughout the resort. So, if you must check your email, you can do it wirelessly from your villa, the beach, the swimming pools or the golf courses.

Tortuga Bay offers something for everyone, although your vacation experience won't be cheap. If you're looking for an extremely affordable, over-crowded, no-frills, all-inclusive resort, seek out other accommodation options within the Dominican Republic or elsewhere in the Caribbean. Tortuga Bay is designed to offer only the best-of-the-best to vacationers able and willing to pay for the experience.

The following are photos from my trip...