Ackee and saltfish in Jamaica
If you’re a foodie, cuisine plays an important role in your vacation. We can relate. Luckily, we’ve gotten to sample a lot of great food while off investigating hotels across the globe, and we’ve particularly enjoyed discovering various destination’s specialties, from smoked salmon in Norway to macarons in France. There’s a lot of food out there, to be sure, but these seven local dishes ranked among our favorites.
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The Marriott Wailea Resort is a romantic honeymoon locale on Maui.
Honeymoons must be two things: romantic and memorable. Any old trip to the beach is just not going to suffice for a couple’s post-nuptial getaway. But thankfully, there are plenty of unique and luxurious properties out there for newlyweds. Remote jungle hideaways, cozy mountain lodges, luxe European grand dames, and gorgeous beachfront properties are waiting with a bottle of champagne at the ready to toast your “I dos.” These romantic hotels around the world are perfect honeymoon locales; go ahead and swoon over them in this slideshow.
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Offering some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and most stunning natural wonders, virtually endless recreational opportunities, year-round temperatures that hover around 80 degrees, and a well-organized tourism infrastructure that creates a mostly seamless vacation experience, Hawaii attracts some seven million tourists each year. What’s more, the best of Hawaii — its natural attractions — can be enjoyed at little cost. But whether you’re on a budget or you’re looking for luxury, Oyster has found just the spot to stay for almost every kind of traveler and has a hotel for you. We’ve teamed up with Captivate Network to bring you five ways to stay in Hawaii. Check it out below and next week, check out your Captivate elevator screens for 1 Trip, 5 Ways: Rome!
Marriott Wailea Resort
You can’t visit Hawaii without going to a luau, and the Marriott’s three-hour extravaganza is the best in Wailea. The meal is delicious and doesn’t forgo any of the essential luau elements, including traditional food like poi and kalua pork.
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Set off into the sunset at the Marriott Wailea Resort in Maui.
Situated on a (large) rock between two beaches, the 22-acre, 546-room Wailea Marriott has panoramic ocean views and a serene vibe that’s often missing from some of Maui’s more crowded, neighboring resorts. Renovated in 2008, the Marriott’s spiffy rooms, gorgeous adult-only infinity pool, reputable spa, and popular restaurant make it the best mid-range option in ritzy Wailea, especially for newlyweds looking for indulgent romance without busting their wedding budget. The Marriott has consistently been considered one of Oyster’s best Hawaiian hotels for a destination wedding and honeymoon thanks to its gorgeous setting, great amenities, and reasonable prices.
Honeymooners might consider booking the hotel’s “Experience Romance — Wailea Style” package during their stay. The package offers couples a stay in an oceanfront room with breakfast-in-bed each morning, and champagne and chocolate covered-strawberries upon arrival. Check out more honeymoon-inspired photos of the Marriott Wailea Resort here »
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Travaasa Hana, Maui
The Travaasa Hana, overlooking Hana Bay, delivers rustic luxury in the middle of Maui’s lush, secluded east coast. Incredible service, a top spa, excellent food, a long list of activities, and only 70 rooms on acres of uncrowded property make this spot one of the most relaxing — and romantic — in all of Hawaii. And gorgeous views abound; guests can spy glimpses of the ocean from their rooms, the restaurant, or the golf course. But our favorite view may be of the dusky purple sky from the beautiful infinity-edge pool. So as we say every week: sit back, relax, and soak up the goodness that is the Travaasa Hana.
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As the Hotel-Tell All, Oyster is very well-traveled when it comes to hotels. We’ve seen it all — the good, the bad, and the ugly. So around this time last year, we came up with a list of 11 things we hate about hotels. And trust us, we really hate them (don’t even get us started on daily resort fees…). But tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we realized that, sure, hotels can do some annoying things, but hotels give us plenty to be thankful for, too. So this time, we decided to come up with a list of 11 things we love about hotels.
Breakfast in bed at The Surrey in New York City
Even Mom won’t whip up an omelet for us when we just gotta have one at 4 a.m. But at hotels with 24-hour room service, guests can have their pick of tasty treats no matter the time of day or night. And even better than 24-hour room service is 24-hour room service with a menu dreamed up by a celebrity chef. Hotels such as The Surrey and Mercer Hotel, both in New York City, are known for their celebrity chef restaurants and room service menus.
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The Ocean Crystal Wedding Chapel at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort
When it comes to destination weddings, the options can seem endless (and exhausting). Couples can choose to wed beachside or poolside, in the woods or atop a mountain. But sometimes sticking to tradition can be just the ticket, even if you are in an exotic locale. That’s why many hotels around the globe offers gorgeous chapels for nuptials. We picked some of our favorites for saying “I do,” so get the wedding marches ready: It’s time to walk down the aisles of our favorite hotel chapels.
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While there are plenty of luxurious hotels out there, some hotels take luxury to a whole other level (which means prices on a whole new level, too). But when you really need to unwind away from home, there’s no better way to indulge than heading to a luxe hotel with an equally luxe spa for some much-need pampering. Whether they’re offering oils of gold, creams of caviar, or bathtubs of wine, these hotel spas aren’t shy about offering their guests the royal treatment – and charging them royally, too.
Spa: Spa V at Hotel Victor, South Beach
Hotel Victor pampers guests with the finest bath water in South Beach
Not many of the treatments at Hotel Victor in South Beach come cheap, but the Evian bath is particularly pricey. The bath, consisting of 1,000 bottles of the French mineral water, is only available to guests of the $10,000 per night penthouse suite, and includes champagne, dessert, and an additional treatment of choice for two.
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Sexy cabanas overlook the infinity pool and the ocean at the Marriott Wailea Resort.
Situated on a rock between two beaches, the 22-acre, 546-room Wailea Marriott is a gorgeous Maui property, and offers considerably affordable rates compared to other luxury hotels on the island. With panoramic ocean views and a serene vibe that’s missing from some of the more crowded, neighboring resorts, the Marriott is a popular choice among couples and those searching for a quiet escape. Plus, spiffy rooms, a beautiful adults-only infinity pool, a reputable spa, and a popular restaurant make it a great option in ritzy Wailea. So as we say every week: sit back, relax, and soak up the goodness that is the Marriott Wailea Resort.
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Heaven, thy name is [insert dessert of choice here]. It doesn’t take a genius to know that sweets trump suites any day of the week – but why choose between one or the other? Hotels today are serving up the good stuff, and we here at Oyster have dug into some of the most unique, mouth-watering desserts during our travels. So, in honor of National Dessert Month — which begins today (gotta love October), we’ve decided to round up our five favorites for you to salivate over. Buon appetito!
1. Grilled Black Pepper Pineapple at Half Moon, Jamaica
Spicy-sweetness is done right at the Half Moon's Sugar Mill restaurant in Jamaica.
Half Moon has been defining Jamaican luxury for decades – attracting everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to 50 Cent with its bountiful amenities and delicious Jamaican fare. This unique dessert straddles the sweet-savory line to scrumptious ends. Thick slices of pineapple are grilled with black pepper, creating a spicy base on top of which refreshing rum raisin ice cream and sinfully rich Tia Maria sauce are drenched. Garnished with a single mint leaf, this dessert is as pretty as it is mouthwatering. Read More »
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