5 Gables Bed and Breakfast Blog

Did the long Labor Day weekend come and go too fast? If you want to treat yourself to a sun-filled getaway later this month, here’s one option that is sure to bring you good karma: The Marquis Los Cabos, right on the beach on the tip of Baja California, is offering fourth and seventh nights for free (just ask for the Mexico Extravaganza Package when you book). Stay for a week, and you’ll save almost 30%. Choose either an ocean-view suite or a private casita; the latter have their own private plunge pools. There are also three restaurants, a bar, and a 15,000-foot holistic spa and fitness center, so you need never leave the property.
What makes this hotel a responsible traveler’s choice? When the owners opened their doors to guests back in 2003, they also opened a university for their employees. Books and classes are paid for entirely by the hotel, which donates 5% of its annual revenue to staff education and health care.
The giving back doesn’t stop there: The hotel also turns off all its lights for every full moon, lighting the place instead with candles and reducing the energy usage by 25%. And employee uniforms are embroidered by a small community near Mexico City, not a sweatshop somewhere in Asia. With room rates starting at $240 per night, Marquis Los Cabos isn’t the cheapest Mexican holiday you’ll find, but its heart is in the right place.

One of the trends I’ve been seeing of late is hotels with a surf theme or barefoot-chic beachy vibe–properties like Montauk, Long Island’s popular Surf Lodge and Bungalow on the Jersey Shore.
Now there are two more to keep on your radar. The Scarlet, in England’s Cornwall region, just opened a few weeks back and is already making waves for its eco-sensibility and stylish vibe. The 37-room property overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and has an Ayurvedic spa on site. Cornwall has become one of Europe’s hottest surf centers–the countryside is gorgeous, and the food is just great–and I have a feeling The Scarlet is going to make the area even more of a draw.
I just found out about a new spot opening October 15 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The Postcard Inn on the Beach is the latest from restaurateur Stephen Hanson (behind the James Hotel in Chicago), and claims to be “laid-back, beachy, and carefree” as well as affordable. Think surf-inspired accommodations, beers and burgers, and comfy hammocks by the sea. A whole generation of travelers want affordable, chic beachside places–hoteliers should keep them coming.
In the meantime, got a relaxed seaside favorite that has the surfer (or surfer wannabe) vibe? Let us know.

India mints its own stars in the booming Mumbai-based Bollywood film industry.
Photo: Lisa Limer for Condé Nast Traveler
Mumbai is a city of dreams. Millions of people travel there every day in hopes of finding stardom and wealth. In Condé Nast Traveler’s October issue, Shoba Narayan explores Mumbai’s fantasies and realities. Here are a few of her favorites spots to stay, eat, and play:
* The ITC Grand Central’s midtown location makes the hotel a favorite of visiting sports teams and therefore of gawkers. Its female-only floor, Eva, has a great selection of toiletries from Forest Essentials, a local brand (22-2410-1010; doubles, $490-$656).
* For a true Bombay experience, go to Swati Snacks in the Tardeo District, where multiple generations wait in line to chow down on vegetarian Gujarati snacks and dishes (248 Karai Estate; 22-6580-8406; entrées, $2-$8).
* In the nightclub and bar scene, the Blue Frog is the it spot–and not just for its killer Bellinis (D/2 Mathu-radas Mills Compound, N M Joshi St., Lower Parel District).

The area around the Ortaköy Mosque is now party central.

by Roger Sauerhaft

As a college undergraduate deliberating where to spend a semester abroad–and making no progress toward a decision–a summer internship on the editorial side ofCondé Nast Traveler was the perfect remedy for my stalemate.

I had narrowed my search down to five cities after browsing my school’s (University of Michigan) international programs Web site and eliminating programs based on my preferences. This left me with three cities to inquire about: Istanbul, Prague, and Stockholm. So whenever I was between projects, I ventured about the office in search of the best advice my internship could buy.

The consensus was unanimous: Staffers at Traveler are in love with Istanbul (see the May 2009 issue).
* It’s always been beautiful and full of history, but sort of second-world, said senior editor Lisa Gill. “Now, in the past ten years, it’s the hottest place in Europe. All the ‘ideas people’ go to Istanbul&I love it.”
* The only city in the world to straddle two continents, the Turkish capital is considered the “crossroads” of the world–bridging the Islamic world with the West. “It fractures of having two feet in both worlds, and not being able to figure out which world it belongs to,” said Clive Irving, the senior consulting editor. “It’s a fascinating place. It really is the crossroads.”
* Staffers also stressed the significance of traveling to Istanbul now, as the transitional energy makes it the hot and happening place to be.
* Perhaps the only drawback I discovered is the Turkish language. “I know a lot of correspondents who have been in Istanbul a year and are still having trouble picking it up,” said deputy news editor Deborah Dunn, citing the difficulty of tenses and pronunciation.

Views from rooms at La Reserve Ramatuelle reveal a seemingly endless expanse of the Mediterranean Sea.
Photo: La Reserve Ramatuelle

by Ondine Cohane

Last week I had the good fortune to be in the South of France scoping out La Reserve Ramatuelle near Saint-Tropez. The property opened in May and, as the name suggests, it’s a true retreat. What I think made it stand out most was the fact that even though it was close to the action of celeb central Saint-Tropez and the pretty medieval village of Ramatuelle, it felt a world apart from the tourist crowds with only 23 rooms perched over the Mediterranean. The resort was masterminded by French designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte who focused on creating airy, light-filled spaces that were still very luxurious, the perfect aesthetic for a place where the focus should be on the view.

Some European “beauty centers,” while they look good are a little lightweight on treatments, but the spa at La Reserve Ramatuelle was a standout. It was obvious that my technician was just as concerned with my alignment as making sure I was relaxed as I was. And I loved the spa’s internal pool, the counterpoint to the huge outdoor swimming pool that also seems to hang above the sea. It was hard to leave my room, but I did manage to make a couple of stops into Ramatuelle for the market and also to Saint-Tropez to admire the über-yachts (if the economy is bad, these seafarers didnt seem to have gotten the memo). If you are heading to the South of France you’ll want to make La Reserve a part of the itinerary.

It’s not as sexy as show biz or politics, but the airline industry generates its own share of wild rumors and bogus stories. And it’s not hard to see why: The airlines themselves have pushed the boundaries of what is plausible; witness their creativity in concocting new fees (see rumor number 3, below). Sometimes we just want it to be true, as in the latest whopper this week: Über-discounter Southwest Airlines, famous for its spartan service on short flights, was said to be seriously weighing long-distance flights to . . . Europe! South America! Visions of its trademark $99 fares to Paris or Rio, though, were quickly dashed when the airline trashed the tale as “untrue.”
So, what happened? A reporter for Air Transport World, a respected trade journal, interviewed a senior Southwest exec at a Beijing confab, and some vague remarks about international service morphed into an online “scoop.” The magazine later backpedaled, and Southwest made it perfectly clear that it has no interest in “long-distance international flying.” (It may start international flights to Mexico, but that’s hardly the same.) Seriously, it was pretty crazy when you think about it. Southwest is a success because it’s never strayed from its formula of single-class, no-frills flights using one type of aircraft, the narrow body 737; that’s why it can offer low fares–and hire stand-up comics as flight attendants. Why jeopardize all that for the chance to lose a bundle overseas?

The schooner Adirondack provides an intimate experience of New York City’s landmarks.

For us New Yorkers, this is a difficult day. Flags will be lowered, 2,752 names will be read, moments of silence will be observed. Today, just about everything and everyone in New York will reflect on that surreal day eight years ago. Frivolity feels inappropriate and celebrities take a backseat. Not surprisingly, visitors are often left befuddled by what to do in a city of mourning. But there is one New York experience that perfectly encapsulates the traveling spirit, while paying homage to the city.
Each day, two 80-foot schooners from Classic Harbor Line set sail down New York’s waterway, offering their guests incredible views of the skyline with free drinks. Photos and picnic baskets are encouraged, and even the most cynical traveler is awed by the Statue of Liberty (which the schooner approaches as closely as the Coast Guard will allow). It’s an incredible experience on any day, but the Sunset Sail is a particularly humbling, haunting experience this week. Just as the last moments of twilight fade away, the schooner passes by the twin towers of light, disappearing into the sky like ghosts. Suddenly the whole ship is silent as you and a boatful of strangers share a single profound moment. Needless to say, it’s $50 you’ll never regret.

Beautiful hand-painted doors, just part of designer Jacques Garcia’s vision for La Mamounia in Marrakech.

Morocco is a big gap in my travel education. Somehow I just haven’t had the chance to get there. The hotel scene in Marrakech is one of the most exciting in the world, with a mix of small riad properties converted into boutique hotels and bigger–but still stylish–resorts. Here are some hotels opening in Morocco this fall that you should keep on your radar:

* Few hotels have as storied histories as Marrakech’s La Mamounia. It seems that almost every celeb who comes to town has bedded down there–Winston Churchill and Mick Jagger are just two who come to mind. But the property had started to feel a bit run down, so the grand dame has undergone a multi-million dollar face lift. New additions include three restaurants, a 27,000 square foot spa, and glam interiors by Jacques Garcia, who designed Paris’s chic Hotel Costes and theMetropole in Monte Carlo. I am betting that this will be one of the hottest hotel openings of the fall and winter season. Doors are set to open at the end of this month.

* Royal Mansour Marrakech, owned by the King of Morocco, sounds like it will be indeed palatial with 53 individual riads (ranging in size from 1,400 square feet to over 21,000!) set into the ancient wall of the city and covering eight acres of landscaped gardens. The property includes a huge spa with an indoor pool and three restaurants under the helm of Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. The project is part of the King’s “Vision 2010″ initiative to promote tourism and jobs in the hospitality sector. When it opens in November, riad prices will range from ¬1,500-¬20,000 per night.