Posted on May - 01 - 2011
Driving up the heavily wooded and romantically shaded road, its easy to squint your eyes and be transported back in time to an age when elegant carriages traveled this same route, ushering Presidents and Kings, movie moguls and robber barons through Asheville and the North Carolina mountains. Then, suddenly, there it is in all its stately glory, soaring off its hilltop locale and bidding welcome through massive iron and stone gates. Its Biltmore, the true American castle that has stood for more than a century as a monument to the wealth and luxury of the Gilded Age.
Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895, Biltmore is the epitome of over-the-top luxury and indulgence fashioned after European models of self-sufficient working estates.
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Posted on April - 30 - 2011
Get a heavy dose of whimsy at The Mansion on O Street (from $350), where 32 guest rooms are hidden behind secret doors and pivoting bookcases, and each one is individually decorated with an eclectic collection of cultural artifacts. If space is what you’re after, book the duplex suite that re-creates an entire cabin, complete with a log staircase, Frederic Remington cowboy sculptures, cowhide rugs, and a wooden Jacuzzi.
Stay in the District’s sleekest option, Thompson Hotels’ Donovan House (from $159), where rooms are decked out with egg-shaped Studio Gaia lounge chairs and the rooftop pool deck serves cocktails and small plates from Susur Lee’s Zentan until 2 a.m. Explore
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Posted on April - 29 - 2011
Spring on the French Riviera, after the winter’s lull and before the summer’s hordes, is a concept extremely hard to resist. Add to that one of the most influential cultural events in the world and you have an all-around winning combination. Although it was inaugurated in the fall of 1946, the Cannes Film Festival quickly moved to the month of May in order not to compete with the equally prestigious Venice Film Festival, and it turned out to be a good move. Its
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Posted on April - 27 - 2011
Cuban paella, Horizons, Philadelphia No longer do vegetarians have to resort to pasta dishes when eating out. AAA inspectors are sharing where to find complex and delicious meals featuring wholesome ingredients in sensational combinations. Discover their top 13 picks below and click here for a longer list of AAA inspectors’ vegetarian restaurant recommendations by state – and their personal observations.
3 Sisters Café, Indianapolis, IN 
Locals and tourists alike flock to this slightly worn, yet charming Victorian house turned restaurant offering plenty of vegetarian and vegan options (beyond just “take off the cheese”) in addition to standard fare. All-d Read more…
Posted on April - 25 - 2011
CheckYourRoom.com is a new hotel booking site that lets you find and book a specific hotel room from a carefully handpicked collection of over 250 one-of-a-kind luxury and boutique hotel rooms in the world.
Travellers can search for a hotel room by destination, budget, feature, keyword or tag and they can book the specific room they see on the site, at the best available price.
The rooms featured on the site are all boutique and luxury hotel rooms in Europe, but the collection is expanding worldwide with new hotels and rooms being added on a weekly basis.
In addition, discerning travellers can take advantage of the Room Concierge service which offers personalized hotel room recommendations for any destination or budget.
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