This luxury country house on the Wild Atlantic Way on the West coast of Ireland captured my heart as soon as I landed on the website. I needed to book one night as we drove a segment of the Way along the rugged coast. Knowing we would be traveling for 7 or 8 hours a day, we wanted luxury, comfort and quiet elegance in a country setting and we got so much more than that in Barrow House.Explore
Whether heading to or from your houseboat adventure, a stop at the Boulders Resort and Spa is worth a stop, if only for the tour of the property.
On my way to Lake Powell, I stopped at Boulders for a few days of tranquility and pampering. Surrounded by lush desert landscape, the backdrop of the resort is home to gigantic mountains of boulders dating back 12 million years. Sitting on 1300 acres are casitas, (small Adobe style cottages), suites, haciendas and villas, five restaurants and a bounty of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, rock climbing, pickle ball, tennis and swimming. Two championship level golf courses have sweeping views on the Sonoran Desert landscape and listed among the finest in the US.Explore
There is something very, very special about the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Although I was actually crashing the party (not really), I felt immediately comfortable and at ease in my new surroundings in the lobby boasting a grand piano (I wish I could play) beautiful décor, a fireplace and a view of Salish Sea.
You’ve strolled down La Rambla to where it meets the Mediterranean, after a side trip into the Gothic Neighbourhood, through narrow serpentine alleys graced by churches ten centuries old, past mansions once populated by Renaissance merchants.
We’re riding a local bus from Managua, Nicaragua to a colonial city called Granada. We pass horse-drawn carts, a forested mountain whose slopes hide a volcano.
Windswept Lake Nicaragua appears: sky-reaching church steeples, circa 1524, pastel-painted buildings with red tile roofs, snugged down on its shore.
We’re immediately smitten and we’re hardly alone.Explore
Driving up to Cobble Beach, this 574-acre elegant resort and spa offers so many activities and amenities, guests coming to stay at the main resort or cottages are also choosing to stay. Seeing Cobble Beach as a way of life, many are buying homes that include a golf membership. Located on Georgian Bay, about ten minutes North of Owen South, the four-season resort boasts a large restaurant offering local and impressive seasonal menus. Owner Rob McLeese had a vision for what originally was six farms on two heritage sites and provides the perfect venue for many special events.Explore
Nothing says Waypoints more than Port Ferdinand located on the northwest Platinum coast of Barbados. From the moment I was greeted with a glass of bubbly and escorted to my temporary “home away from home”, I knew I’d arrived! A sumptuous three-bedroom villa with expansive terrace overlooking million-dollar yachts and the Quarterdeck gathering place was only the beginning of my Barbados experience.Explore
Overlooking the “Wild Atlantic Way” on the southwest coast of Ireland, the Inchydoney Lodge and Spa is an on-trend hotel, as alluring as the beaches in full view of the room balconies, dining room and patio. Go for the highly photo-worthy setting – think slubby linen and a quaint beach vibe – and stay for the enticing menu. The elegant lobby, decorated in soft cream, grey and blue linens with wood accents, reflects the surrounding seascape.Explore
If I had to be stuck waiting for someone anywhere on Cape Breton Island, there is no other place I’d rather wait. Lucky for me, I was greeted the minute I arrived in Keltic Lodge’s main lobby by a dear friend and a beautiful glass of New Zealand Savignon Blanc. I had arrived. We plonked down in one of the many cozy settings in the sun-filled Highland Sitting Room waiting for the rest of the troops to arrive. Sadly, it was a bit too breezy on the patio to enjoy watching the sailboats beating upwind on the ocean.Explore