http://wandermelon.com Updates and insights on the world's best experiences. Fri, 17 May 2013 23:25:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://wandermelon.com/2013/04/26/fast-and-fabulous-in-vancouver/ http://wandermelon.com/2013/04/26/fast-and-fabulous-in-vancouver/#comments Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:24:45 +0000 Liz Laing http://wandermelon.com/?p=22366
Three Days In British Columbia’s Eco-Friendly Capital of Cool. Savvy travelers already knew about Vancouver’s appeal long before the 2010 Winter Olympics. But since the winter games, the city’s cachet has gone truly global. With something for nature lovers and urbanites alike, the city is ideally situated between the mountains and the sea, surrounded by water and natural beauty but also brimming with sophisticated dining and shopping options. Then consider the fact Vancouver sets the standard...]]>
Three Days In British Columbia’s Eco-Friendly Capital of Cool. Savvy travelers already knew about Vancouver’s appeal long before the 2010 Winter Olympics. But since the winter games, the city’s cachet has gone truly global. With something for nature lovers and urbanites alike, the city is ideally situated between the mountains and the sea, surrounded by water and natural beauty but also brimming with sophisticated dining and shopping options. Then consider the fact Vancouver sets the standard...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2013/04/26/fast-and-fabulous-in-vancouver/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2013/03/04/explore-chicago-with-kids/ http://wandermelon.com/2013/03/04/explore-chicago-with-kids/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:27:07 +0000 Dana Sara http://wandermelon.com/?p=21970
Chicago native Dana Sara offers an insider’s guide to memorable kid-friendly entertainment for the entire family and stays at the grand 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago. Chicago offers experiences that will make a lasting impression upon you and your children, creating memories that will last a lifetime.  A weekend in Chicago can open your family’s eyes to a not so distant past where imagination, creativity and perseverance were the values that turned a prairie...]]>
Chicago native Dana Sara offers an insider’s guide to memorable kid-friendly entertainment for the entire family and stays at the grand 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago. Chicago offers experiences that will make a lasting impression upon you and your children, creating memories that will last a lifetime.  A weekend in Chicago can open your family’s eyes to a not so distant past where imagination, creativity and perseverance were the values that turned a prairie...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2013/03/04/explore-chicago-with-kids/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2013/02/12/romantic-rendezvous-w-hotel-style/ http://wandermelon.com/2013/02/12/romantic-rendezvous-w-hotel-style/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:16:38 +0000 Ann Wycoff http://wandermelon.com/?p=21805
Does your Valentine plan look anything like this? We didn’t think so, but here’s the good news.  The W Hotels are playing Cupid with their Romance Remixed package available at all 43 of their properties, so there’s still time to avoid the doghouse. Their VIP concierges will help you curate an off-the-charts Valentine’s Day celebration. Whether it’s a gourmet breakfast in bed with a personal chef, a surprise arrival of a closet full of fashionable...]]>
Does your Valentine plan look anything like this? We didn’t think so, but here’s the good news.  The W Hotels are playing Cupid with their Romance Remixed package available at all 43 of their properties, so there’s still time to avoid the doghouse. Their VIP concierges will help you curate an off-the-charts Valentine’s Day celebration. Whether it’s a gourmet breakfast in bed with a personal chef, a surprise arrival of a closet full of fashionable...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2013/02/12/romantic-rendezvous-w-hotel-style/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2013/01/10/winter-travel-skiing-in-idaho/ http://wandermelon.com/2013/01/10/winter-travel-skiing-in-idaho/#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:13:00 +0000 Elizabeth Rodgers http://wandermelon.com/?p=21520
Although the Rocky Mountains offer some of the best skiing in the world, the overlooked state of Idaho can offer excellent deals with short lift lines and great value.  Not only does Idaho have eighteen ski areas, offering some world class skiing and snow boarding options -- powder, terrain parks, cat-skiing, heli-skiing -- it’s also a big empty state with blue skies and fresh tracks. Crowds are few in this part of the Rockies.  Come...]]>
Although the Rocky Mountains offer some of the best skiing in the world, the overlooked state of Idaho can offer excellent deals with short lift lines and great value.  Not only does Idaho have eighteen ski areas, offering some world class skiing and snow boarding options -- powder, terrain parks, cat-skiing, heli-skiing -- it’s also a big empty state with blue skies and fresh tracks. Crowds are few in this part of the Rockies.  Come...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2013/01/10/winter-travel-skiing-in-idaho/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2012/10/26/new-orleans-now-the-w-gets-re-styled-and-nawlins-gets-wild-for-halloween/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/10/26/new-orleans-now-the-w-gets-re-styled-and-nawlins-gets-wild-for-halloween/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:30:30 +0000 Robert Ellsworth http://wandermelon.com/?p=20352
The newly renovated W New Orleans - French Quarter is the perfect landing spot from which to explore the spirit, spark and sexiness of The Big Easy The W brand masterfully creates design integrated with the cities it resides in, and in the Big Easy that means celebrating the music, magic, cuisine and cocktails that New Orleans is famous for. Just a hop, skip and a jump from the pulsating heart of the French Quarter, this...]]>
The newly renovated W New Orleans - French Quarter is the perfect landing spot from which to explore the spirit, spark and sexiness of The Big Easy The W brand masterfully creates design integrated with the cities it resides in, and in the Big Easy that means celebrating the music, magic, cuisine and cocktails that New Orleans is famous for. Just a hop, skip and a jump from the pulsating heart of the French Quarter, this...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/10/26/new-orleans-now-the-w-gets-re-styled-and-nawlins-gets-wild-for-halloween/feed/ 5 http://wandermelon.com/2012/09/28/west-virginia-the-resort-at-glade-springs/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/09/28/west-virginia-the-resort-at-glade-springs/#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:14:00 +0000 Brad Auerbach http://wandermelon.com/?p=19948
Brad Auerbach discovers year-round adventure and fun at this hidden gem in West Virginia. Here are a few things we bet you don’t know about West Virginia: It’s the birthplace of Mother’s Day; home to the world’s largest sycamore tree; the location of the first steamboat launching on the Potomac River in 1787; and the setting of the country’s first spa–Berkeley Springs–which opened to the public in 1756. Don Knotts, Chuck Yaeger and Mary Lou Retton...]]>
Brad Auerbach discovers year-round adventure and fun at this hidden gem in West Virginia. Here are a few things we bet you don’t know about West Virginia: It’s the birthplace of Mother’s Day; home to the world’s largest sycamore tree; the location of the first steamboat launching on the Potomac River in 1787; and the setting of the country’s first spa–Berkeley Springs–which opened to the public in 1756. Don Knotts, Chuck Yaeger and Mary Lou Retton...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/09/28/west-virginia-the-resort-at-glade-springs/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/25/the-five-top-swimming-pools-in-the-world/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/25/the-five-top-swimming-pools-in-the-world/#comments Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:22:09 +0000 Alex Kostich http://wandermelon.com/?p=19539
World-class competitive swimmer Alex Kostich goes in search of the world's splashiest swimming pools and comes up with five gold medalists. It’s the middle of the summer and the dog days are upon us; beach parking is virtually non-existent, and your hotel pool is full of cannonball-ing kids and ominous patches of cloudy sunscreen. It may be time to take a vacation…...]]>
World-class competitive swimmer Alex Kostich goes in search of the world's splashiest swimming pools and comes up with five gold medalists. It’s the middle of the summer and the dog days are upon us; beach parking is virtually non-existent, and your hotel pool is full of cannonball-ing kids and ominous patches of cloudy sunscreen. It may be time to take a vacation…...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/25/the-five-top-swimming-pools-in-the-world/feed/ 2 http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/05/relais-chateaux-a-legacy-of-extraordinary-hospitality/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/05/relais-chateaux-a-legacy-of-extraordinary-hospitality/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:01:33 +0000 Kate Ayrton http://wandermelon.com/?p=19291
Stéphane Junca, R&C's Director of Member Services, Asia Pacific, tells us what makes this association of hotels and restaurants so unique and why the next time you plan a trip, you should look them up. Long before Zagat’s, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Frommer’s or Luxe, there was the much coveted Relais & Chateaux Guide, which any sophisticated world traveler worth their salt wouldn’t dare leave home without, gleefully ticking off the pages of...]]>
Stéphane Junca, R&C's Director of Member Services, Asia Pacific, tells us what makes this association of hotels and restaurants so unique and why the next time you plan a trip, you should look them up. Long before Zagat’s, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Frommer’s or Luxe, there was the much coveted Relais & Chateaux Guide, which any sophisticated world traveler worth their salt wouldn’t dare leave home without, gleefully ticking off the pages of...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/07/05/relais-chateaux-a-legacy-of-extraordinary-hospitality/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2012/06/22/roc-on-at-canadas-festival-d%e2%80%99ete-de-quebec/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/06/22/roc-on-at-canadas-festival-d%e2%80%99ete-de-quebec/#comments Sat, 23 Jun 2012 01:29:09 +0000 Eric Hiss http://wandermelon.com/?p=19164
This year, Canada’s largest music festival turns 45, and Quebec City is pulling out all the stops with a brilliantly eclectic line-up ranging from Aerosmith to The Wailers. It’s a pretty tough act to follow: Take a 400 year-old walled city with a historic core that’s an architectural marvel, mix it with 11 days of city-wide concerts, more than 1,000 artists, over one million festival-goers from around the world and there you have it -- Festival...]]>
This year, Canada’s largest music festival turns 45, and Quebec City is pulling out all the stops with a brilliantly eclectic line-up ranging from Aerosmith to The Wailers. It’s a pretty tough act to follow: Take a 400 year-old walled city with a historic core that’s an architectural marvel, mix it with 11 days of city-wide concerts, more than 1,000 artists, over one million festival-goers from around the world and there you have it -- Festival...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/06/22/roc-on-at-canadas-festival-d%e2%80%99ete-de-quebec/feed/ 0 http://wandermelon.com/2012/04/20/top-palm-springs-hotels/ http://wandermelon.com/2012/04/20/top-palm-springs-hotels/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:03:20 +0000 Terena Thyne Eisner http://wandermelon.com/?p=18467
Whether visiting CA for the annual Coachella music festival or just looking for a relaxing poolside getaway, here are our favorite hotels that offer a glamorous respite from the desert heat. With its renowned mid-century modern architecture, wellness retreats, and sophisticated resorts, Palm Springs has entered a new golden age. Whether you are looking to spend the weekend at the annual Coachella Music Festival, play a round of golf on one of the championship courses...]]>
Whether visiting CA for the annual Coachella music festival or just looking for a relaxing poolside getaway, here are our favorite hotels that offer a glamorous respite from the desert heat. With its renowned mid-century modern architecture, wellness retreats, and sophisticated resorts, Palm Springs has entered a new golden age. Whether you are looking to spend the weekend at the annual Coachella Music Festival, play a round of golf on one of the championship courses...]]> http://wandermelon.com/2012/04/20/top-palm-springs-hotels/feed/ 0