The Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa is just one of our favorite eco stays!
For eco-minded couples, choosing the right getaway means finding a spot that pleases both your partner and Mother Earth. Some couples opt for an au natural vibe on their trips, while others just want to practice a clean-conscience approach to travel. For those who love tree-hugging just as much as they snuggling up with that special someone, we’ve found the best hotels for environmentally-friendly duos who don’t want to skimp on the romance.
Tagged as:
Albuquerque,
Aspen,
Belize,
California,
Cape Cod,
Eco-Friendly,
Jamaica,
Los Angeles,
New York City,
Puerto Rico,
Vancouver
by Devon on April 12, 2013
The heated pool at the Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize is just on surprisingly luxe green amenity
We don’t mind sacrificing a little comfort during our travels if that means reducing our carbon footprint. But then again, not all eco-conscious hotels call for lights out and cold showers. The 10 hotels that make our list of those with the best eco-friendly perks aren’t all LEED-certified, but they still know that going green makes guests and Mother Earth happy. So here’s our salute to some great stays that are doing their part to reduce, reuse, and conserve with these awesome green amenities.
Tagged as:
Argentina,
Belize,
Big Sur,
Buenos Aires,
California,
Colorado,
Costa Rica,
East Hampton,
Finger Lakes,
New York,
Palo Alto,
San Francisco,
Silicon Valley,
Snowmass,
The Hamptons,
Yosemite National Park
The Geejam in Port Antonio, Jamaica
Going to the beach is nice and all, but there’s something about hiding away in the jungle that really gets our travel juices flowing. The lush scenery, the wildlife spottings, the chorus of birds and insects, and the gorgeous rustic-luxe retreats all help rejuvenate us like nothing else. For those still craving a little sun and sand, plenty of our rainforest and jungle picks are on or near the beach. So go ahead — take a walk on the wild side.
Tagged as:
Belize,
Costa Rica,
Dominican Republic,
Guatemala,
Jamaica,
Riviera Nayarit
At this point in the season we’re all more than ready for some sun and high temperatures. You only need to check your friends’ Facebook statuses to know that you’re not the only one who’s feeling a little cranky about the recent cold snap. Heading to Miami, or an island in the Caribbean, may be the easiest way to escape the winter chills. But we tend to forget that the U.S.’s winter season can be the best moment to visit tons of great destinations in the Southern Hemisphere and just above the Equator, where the sunny, warm days are in full swing and the dry season starts to kick in. Whether you’re looking to trek to the top of a volcano or discover historic sites in a big city, we’ve got the destination for you. Check out our top picks for escaping the cold, and start packing!
For the Adventurous Type: Costa Rica
The Arenal Volcano is one of the top attractions in Costa Rica, and it is still possible to see some fumaroles activity.
Costa Rica can be anything from a peaceful oasis to a crowded and touristy spot depending on the time of the year and the region visited — but it’s still far less developed than most popular beach destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean. December through April is the best time to visit, as rainfall drops to a minimum, and days are long and sunny. The country is home to hundreds of diverse habitats, making it easy to enjoy beach days, eco-tourism, and outdoor adventures all in the same trip, and without having to travel long distances. The geography is infinitely varied, ranging from rugged coastlines and bustling towns to misty forests and active volcanoes.
Rico Tico Bar & Grill boasts gorgeous ocean and jungle views.
A staple in the beautiful Manuel Antonio resort area, the 58-room Si Como No is carefully built into a lush hillside, which means great views and winding paths surrounded by colorful flowers and wildlife. The amenities are a main draw here: two pools, two restaurants, a spa, a movie theater, and a wildlife refuge across the street. Unplugged rooms aren’t particularly luxurious, but you’ll want to be spending your time outdoors anyways.
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Tagged as:
Belize,
Buenos Aires,
Costa Rica,
Rio de Janeiro,
Sydney
“This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…” Yesterday, our favorite astrological free spirits started celebrating their 2013 birthdays, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Possessing a deep social conscience, Aquarians are humanitarian, philanthropic, and dedicated to making the world a better place. And they do so with flair. Known for their wildly inventive and creative ideas, Aquarians can also be temperamental and flighty if you don’t encourage their quirk. Luckily, Oyster has stayed at some of the best off-beat, hippie-chic retreats for fostering the unpredictable and artistic notions of the Water Bearers in your life. So get your sketchpads ready, it’s time to take these rebellious visionaries on a one-of-a-kind vacation.
Korakia Pensione brings a bit of the Mediterranean to Palm Springs.
Korakia Pensione is a striking hotel in Palm Springs. Modeled after a Mediterranean pensione, it looks like something out of Greece or Morocco, and Aquarians are sure to relish in its exotic, eclectic vibe. Aquarians are also notorious flirts (what with all of that passionate, creative energy roiling around inside them), so they’ll definitely appreciate that Korakia was named one of Forbes’ sexiest hotels in America. The two Korakia Pensione pools and many outdoor spaces – including fire pits, fountains, and stone paths — are all beautiful and unexpected. And the hotel plays old movies every night outside on the terrace. The rooms are named, not numbered, and each is slightly different, but all have an old-world, whimsical feel.
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Tagged as:
Austin,
Belize,
Berlin,
Brooklyn,
Jamaica,
Long Island,
Palm Springs,
Portland,
Riviera Nayarit,
The Hamptons
Ever dreamed of sleeping in a castle? Check out all 15 of Oyster's bucket list stays.
If you’re like most of us, you probably have a dream trip tucked in the back of your mind — the improbable fantasy hotel stay that will happen one day down the road when you have the time/money/etc. Maybe. But now that we’ve all survived the Mayan apocalypse and are busy working on New Year’s resolutions, Oyster has a resolution challenge for you that you probably won’t mind keeping. In 2013, don’t put off that trip you’re planning to do before you die any longer. Because if the Mayans taught us anything, it’s that we could be dead tomorrow, right? To help you take the plunge, we’ve compiled 15 incredible and utterly unique hotel stays that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Tagged as:
Belize,
Big Sur,
Botswana,
Brooklyn,
Costa Rica,
Ireland,
Jackson Hole,
Jamaica,
Napa Valley,
New York City,
Paris,
Riviera Nayarit,
San Juan,
Sedona,
South Carolina,
Turks and Caicos
Most of us forget our New Year’s Resolutions as soon as we’ve written them down, but we’re sure a lot of you out there at least aim to unplug a little this year by talking more face-to-face and less via social networks; planning at least a short getaway to the countryside; and hitting the road to get back in touch with nature: No TV, no Internet access, no cell phone service. It’s easy to fall into the office-gym-home routine and find that it’s the end of the year again and you haven’t quite done all you’ve set out to do (although if you keep up with the “gym” part, maybe you will have lost those 15 pounds!). Well, we’re determined to help you stay on the “back to nature” bandwagon this year. Check out our favorite unplugged havens and pick the best one for you. Then it’s time to lose the cell — at least for a weekend.
Rooms are housed in open palapas with no window panes or screens.
Haramara, a luxurious yoga retreat located on 12 seaside acres of wild vegetation, is arguably one of the most special hotels in Mexico. All hotel structures have been built using traditional construction techniques to minimize the environmental impact, and there is no electricity besides in the restaurant and the yoga studio. Each room is housed in a private, standalone thatched hut with no window panes or screens separating the indoors from the jungle, and only gauze curtains and mosquito nets protect guests from bugs and critters. Even the bathrooms are open. The peaceful retreat is geared towards those in need of some detoxification and relaxation, with yoga and meditation classes, an open-air spa, a vegetarian and seafood restaurant, unpaved trails, and limited cell phone service.
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Tagged as:
Belize,
Botswana,
Guatemala,
Riviera Nayarit,
Zimbabwe
While there are many great budget-friendly hotels in the Caribbean, the islands are also known for their luxury properties, where guests are treated to day trips aboard yachts, couples are offered massages in sumptuous spas, and rooms are twice the size of a New York apartment (although, we guess it’s not too hard to be). We’ve compiled a list of our favorite luxury hotels in the Caribbean so you can start planning what to do after your new year’s resolution of winning the lottery (that’s not a new year’s resolution, but, really, who hasn’t had that on the list for at least a decade?) comes true.
All guests have a butler on call 24/7 assigned to their room.
Bringing tranquility to otherwise-crowded Paradise Island, the 105-room Ocean Club’s personal butlers, beautiful pools (one for adults, one for families), restaurant from Jean-Georges, and access to Atlantis’s water park, casino, and other attractions make it one of the Caribbean’s best resorts.
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Tagged as:
Anguilla,
Bahamas,
Barbados,
Belize,
Cancun,
Dominican Republic,
Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,
Jamaica,
Luxury Hotels,
Riviera Maya,
St. Barts,
St. Lucia,
St. Martin/St. Maarten,
Turks and Caicos
Are you on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list this year? We’ve seen a lot of good and bad behaviors during our travels over the last year — and maybe dabbled in both as well! So we know every dirty little secret, or shiny gold star, that you’ve been part-and-parcel to on vacation. But if you’re not sure where you stand in Santa’s twinkling eyes, we’re here to help. You can find out whether your favorite hotel amenities will get your stockings stuffed full of goodies or weighed down by coal this holiday season with our quiz. So check out which list you’re on!
The Naughty List:
1. Have you stripped down?
Clothing optional resorts like the Desire Riviera Maya can see some X-rated action.
For some travelers, itsy bitsy bikinis or revealing Speedos just don’t cut it — a vacation isn’t a vacation without a little nudity. Luckily for them, some hotels are redefining casual dress with policies that let guests bare it all (or almost all), like the couples-only, clothing-optional Desire Resort & Spa Riviera Maya. A little voyeurism never hurt anyone — but don’t be surprised if your nude antics land you on the naughty list this winter.
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Tagged as:
Amsterdam,
Bahamas,
Belize,
Christmas,
Hollywood,
Ireland,
Jamaica,
Las Vegas,
New York City,
Orange County,
Riviera Maya,
Toronto,
Washington D.C.
For a lot of employees, corporate retreats are dreaded events. And for good reason: At a bad corporate retreat, you might end up singing Kumbaya in the woods with your boss or falling backwards into the arms of a coworker to “build trust.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. At Oyster.com, we’ve covered some resorts that provide truly awesome settings for company getaways. The daily schedule may still be in your boss’s hands, but at least the resorts will make the probability of being able to squeeze in some fun much higher.
Best Corporate Retreats for…
An AIG-Style Luxury Bash
The Hotel: St. Regis Monarch Beach, Orange County
St. Regis Monarch Beach, where AIG spent over $7,000 on golf fees alone for their executive retreat in 2008.
If you’re in the mood to party like it’s 2008, look no further than the St. Regis Monarch Beach. This is the high-end hotel where AIG reportedly spent over $400,000 on an executive retreat — less than a week after the government’s $85 billion bailout of the company. (The bill included over $23,000 in spa treatments; we guess the executives had a lot of de-stressing to do after their company nearly went down the toilet.) But hey, the times are a changin’ and 2012 has seen the return of luxury corporate retreats. So go on, celebrate the fact that your company is no longer facing imminent disaster (we hope). With a gorgeous 18-hole, ocean-view golf course, eight tennis courts, a renowned spa, an excellent business center with videoconferencing technology, and a high-tech boardroom, it’s the ideal setting for a decadent company getaway.
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Tagged as:
Belize,
Business Hotels,
Finger Lakes,
Luxury Hotels,
Miami,
Orange County,
Sedona,
Value Hotels
