You could say, it is the best of times and it is the worst of times for the tourism industry. Since I stand firm on the “silver lining” point of view, I am going to go with the best of times theory and announce the opening of four lavishly grand hotels and one glam golf course challenging the current economic crises.
Pelican Hill on the Newport Coast is a masterpiece of architecture reflecting the Italian Renaissance, right down to a Palladian-inspired spa that upstages the posh competition along the Pacific Coast Highway. The 128 residential style two-, three-and four-bedroom villas range from 2,193 square feet to 3,581 square feet, and each has a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean. From 500-thread count linens to marble walk-in showers with deep soaking tubs, these ultra-private villas offer the perfect choice for generational travelers, celebrities with privacy in mind and those seeking a honeymoon hideaway.
Friends, Romans and countrymen can steep away the sunny afternoons in the Coliseum Pool, which is 136 feet in diameter.
And speaking of extraordinary pools, the scene at the stunning 46-room Riviera Resort & Spa, extending over 24 acres, could double as a set for the remake of “Palm Springs Weekend,” the cult 1960s film starring Connie Stevens. The resort is theatrical in more ways than one. After you recover from the dazzling renovation, leaving the lobby area of this vintage Palm Springs treasure, which, thanks to the decorators’ palette of orange and black, always looks like something of a Halloween party palace, you step down a flight of stairs to the seductive pool terrace, where on opening night a svelte model floated around in a huge transparent bubble doing acrobatics.
Debuting here too is the chic Spa Terre, where wellness seekers will find a 17-page menu with more treatments than variations on a glazed doughnut. Where else could you find the “Ice Cream,” a sweet manicure and/or pedicure with a choice of foaming ice-cream hand or foot soak followed by a sherbet scrub?
Getting back to a slice of Pacific coast beloved by Malibu denizens, Carbon Beach is home to the chic Malibu Beach Inn, which opened in the fall of 2007. Ocean views from the spacious guestrooms are pure balm. In time for Valentine’s Day are the inn’s Romantic Getaways, neatly bundled packages that include everything from “romantic turndown and champagne” to dinner in the Carbon Beach Club Dining room, with sensational sunset views.
Back to the desert, it may look like Andalusia, where disguised legacies of Moorish Spain found their way into exotic paintings of the past, but the Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz. is much more than that. This is the ultimate retreat, where 253 guestrooms and 40 suites plus 34 stunning detached villas (ranging from 3,800 to 4,700 square feet) sport world-class amenities too numerous to list. If you can’t make it to Florence’s Villa San Michele, designed by Michelangelo, you can make a reservation at this desert resort’s signature restaurant where you can think Tuscany while stealing glances of Camelback Mountain between courses of risotto and a cool affogato. If marriage is on your mind, the Castillo Lucena wedding chapel, which seats up to 320 guests, is waiting, and if you want to get marriage off your mind, settle into the 31,000 square foot bi-level Moroccan- inspired Joya Spa, which is sure to leave the Phoenix spa community gasping. Its 25-minute Hammam treatment, domed and exotic, is about as close as you can get to the authentic experience, with spagoers entitled to an invigorating scrub and massage after the steam.
Golfers, don’t feel left out. The spiffy Indian Wells Golf Resort, making the list of Golfweek’s Best 30 Municipal Courses, opened last year to rave reviews. There are two courses, the Players and the Celebrity, situated between the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa and The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa. The courses are linked to the 53,000 square foot IW Club, a stunning clubhouse extraordinaire with (among other things) a spiral staircase second to none in the desert.
The IW Club Restaurant’s menu competes with a hole-in-one, that’s if you are turned on by a flame-broiled flat iron steak or a French dip brimming with shredded roast beef and roasted elephant garlic. For the serious golfers, the LG Skins Game takes place here Thanksgiving weekend.