THE LAND OF FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES & TRUMP OCEAN CLUB SOARS INTO PROMINENCE

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Perfect parties are held at Tejas' private deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Perfect parties are held at Tejas’ private deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean. photo by Karen Kuzsel

When the invitation to attend a press trip for Panama arrived, I immediately thought how cute I’d look in one of those darling Panama hats and that I’d finally get to see the famed Panama Canal that was the highlight of one of my parent’s many cruises. Not until after I arrived on COPA Airlines into Panama (a three-hour direct flight from Orlando) did I discover that those Fedora hats worn famously by Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, Humphrey Bogart or Gary Cooper, were actually Ecuadorian Read more

Napa City: a gem in the heart of Napa Valley

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PART 2: where to stay
In the first of this three-part series on Napa City, in the heart of the famed Napa Valley, I told you what to see and do in this city of 75,000. In Part 2, the focus is on lodging, from intimate B&B’s to grand resorts.

The history of Napa Valley and Napa River plays out in a meandering river of Italian mosaic tile leading to this fountain and the Napa River Inn. photo by Karen Kuzsel


 An intricately-woven mosaic-tiled river meanders lazily across the outside courtyard of the Napa River Inn, telling the history of Napa as it routes to a steep climb up and across a bubbling fountain, designed and constructed by Napa artist Alan Shepp. The Italian glass-tiled mosaic led from the Napa General Store (originally a mill)– where my party had just eaten a hearty breakfast in the middle of the store, and across the courtyard, where we were headed outside to gaze at the Napa River. My first thought was what a charming place to hold a reception. In fact, the Napa River Inn frequently uses the exquisite courtyard for receptions up to 250 people. My personal preference when travelling is to stay at B&B’s, particularly those with quaint, historic charm, individually-decorated rooms, lavish custom breakfasts with hot-from-the-oven muffins and piping hot coffee, and other amenities that make me feel as if I’m partaking in an experience I couldn’t find elsewhere. While larger than a typical B&B, the pet-friendly 66-room Michelin-starred independently-owned boutique hotel (the only one in Napa) qualifies for stardom on so many other levels. The re-imagined 1884 Hatt Building now houses three separate buildings, individually decorated and themed. I lost my heart in the Victorian-era decorated building with its beaded lamps, laced curtains, and dark wood furniture. Although small corporate groups and wedding parties succumb to the beauty of the Hatt Hall as an event space, with its 14’ high ceiling of original pressed tin Read more

St. Kitts: a Caribbean treasure ripe for discovery

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 I’ve never been to Aruba, St. Martins, St. Thomas or Nevis (St. Kitts’ smaller, sister island), which are some of the area’s better-known vacation draws, so can’t tell you how St. Kitts compares. What I do know is that if you’re a history buff or botanist, a connoisseur of unusual foods (provided your point of reference are U.S. supermarkets and farmers markets), love sailing on a brisk catamaran at sunset under usually-clear skies, browsing among affordable quaint shops with batik attire and colorful coconut shell jewelry, dancing to calypso music at late night local clubs, or Read more

HOTELS SPRUCE UP DÉCOR AND INCENTIVES

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A wise woman once said to me that the best time to advertise is when the economy is down. Yes, you’re spending money you may not have, but the visibility offered may be the key to outlasting your competitors.  Hotels are finding this a perfect time to refurbish and to offer incentives to financially-weary travelers looking to maximize their vacation budgets. Here are a few of whom you may want to pay attention.
The Plantation on Crystal River
Tucked away along Florida’s Nature Coast, an easy trek just 80 miles north of Tampa, this eco-friendly resort caters to people who want to swim with the manatees in their natural surroundings or perhaps to rent a pontoon or hire a guided fishing charter. When their $3 million facelift completes by Jan. 15, the refurbished lobby will showcase updated lighting, and furniture in muted blues and greens, splashed with warm yellows and oranges. No worries about the winding wooden staircase, it’ll remain, but the new contemporary lobby bar will feature a “grab and go” coffee bar, black and white artwork showcasing the scenic river, new booths and stained concrete floors.  Included in the refurbishment  are the 196 guest rooms, eight junior suties and the 2,304-sf meeting space Read more

England Dresses Up Its Past In Architectural Couture

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 (This story was originally written for Prevue Magazine)
            Steamy puffs mist lazily over bathers in the 92-degree open-air pool of the Thermae Bath Spa before escaping over densely-packed gabled rooftops little changed since the legendary healing waters of Bathfirst drew international disciples. More than 200 years after Thomas Gainsborough’s initial exhibition at the Royal Society of Arts and Jane Austen memorialized Bath in her novels, people still flock to Thermae for the same healthful benefits anticipated 2000 years ago when the Romans sank their war-weary bodies into Britain’s original natural thermal spa.
            The only accessible outlet for the purifying 115-degree water bubbling up from underground, Thermae Bath Spa preserved five historic structures while capitalizing on patrons’ needs for modern amenities by erecting the New Royal Bath, a three-story contemporary glass edifice housing more than 50 spa treatment rooms. Treatments range from Watsu (a soothing therapist-guided experience through the smoothly mineral-rich waters) to exotic body wraps such as the Green Coffee slim & tone, Read more

5 Stars for Ravella's Food & Spa

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Ravella at Las Lake Vegas


You know that old adage: which comes first, the chicken or the egg? For my recent journalists’ junket to Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, it was more like: the cuisine or the spa? Both were divinely delicious with a strong propensity towards nurturing health and wellness of mind, body and spirit by infusing the senses with an organic aromatherapeutic remedy.
In the interest of being the equal opportunity purveyor of opinions, I’ll lay out the facts. You decide.
My involvement as an entertainer and as a journalist for the meetings & events, entertainment and hospitality industries garners lots of opportunities to sample tasty treats from chefs of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and reputation. I certainly wasn’t expecting foodie nirvana at a tucked-away resort on the outskirts of Vegas.
Actually, to be truthful, I wasn’t expecting to wind up at a literal oasis in the desert, minus any maurauding nomads or sandstorm-swept flies in my face. Read more