hotels articles

Celebrity Resorts added four resort properties acquired from American Vacation Resorts. The four properties have more than 12,000 members and are located in Daytona Beach, Fla.; Belleaire Beach in Clearwater, Fla.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Poconos, Pa. Celebrity will assume all management and customer-service areas for these resorts and their members. Celebrity now has 17 properties with more than 60,000 members.

In an art world where monumental museums and megaexhibitions are counted on to generate a buzz, the recently reopened Long Beach Museum of Art proves that less is still sometimes more.

This has long been a uniquely California museum. For one thing, it’s housed in a 1912 Craftsman house that was designed by the firm that improbably went on to create Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, now Mann’s Chinese Theatre. What’s more, it boasts a blufftop location that looks out on the beach, Catalina Island, the Queen Mary, and the camouflaged oil-producing islands of Long Beach Harbor. Its regional sensibility is also reflected in a collection strong on Southern California plein air paintings and modern art.

The original museum has long occupied the Craftsman house, which was built as a summer residence during Long Beach’s resort heyday When the museum began to ponder expansion plans in the early 1990s, it considered a move to a larger downtown site. In the end, funding problems prevented the move–as did a general sense that the site and house were integral to the institution’s identity, according to museum director Hal Nelson.

“I’ve always thought that the building was one of the finest works of art in our collection,” he says.

As part of the museum’s $6.5-million renovation and expansion, a new 12,500-square-foot pavilion that echoes the Craftsman design eases the burden on the original building. This added space will showcase paintings and sculpture in the context of the decorative arts of the period. In the California modernism gallery, for example, a late-20th-century abstract is displayed alongside an Eames chair.

The new building will also provide additional space for a wide range of collections the museum has accumulated since opening in 1950, including early-20th-century European art, 18th-century American decorative arts, and California ceramics.

Great art, of course, remains the focus of the experience, but the facility will play other roles in the community as well. During the planning stage, it was discovered that people came to the museum for more than the art–be it to take in the view or to stroll the gardens. As a result, the museum decided to improve amenities such as the store and restaurant, and to host events including poetry readings, recitals, and concerts. “We’re trying to make the museum the community’s living room,” Nelson says.

In fact, the museum has long been close to the hearts of Long Beach residents. “A man involved in lobbying for the museum back in the 1940s stopped by,” recalls Nelson. “He looked around at what we were doing and said how proud he was that the dream he and others had for the museum would be realized.”

R. Donahue Peebles, president and chief executive officer of Miami-based Peebles Atlantic Development Corp., recently opened the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza Resort in Miami Beach, FL.

The building of this structure cast Peebles as the nation’s first Black to develop and own a major convention resort hotel.

The venture was the centerpiece of a settlement to end a three-year Black tourism boycott of South Florida that cost Miami-Dade County about $50 million. “It’s a unique opportunity,” Peebles said of developing the 422-room, $84 million Art Deco hotel. “The symbolism behind it was important, so my responsibility was to make this hotel meet the expectations that the African-American community as a whole had for it.”
The hotel is committed to hiring minorities for half of its staff and at least a quarter of senior management. Its management-level staff is nearly 100 percent African-American, Peebles said. “What we want to do is to have the best and brightest, and hopefully get to a point … where no one will pay attention whether it’s minority owned or not minority owned.”

Calling it a “size-friendly vacation club,” Mexican investors have opened what they claim is the world’s first resort for fat holiday-goers.

“We have a huge market,” says Freedom Paradise resort’s Jurriann Klink. “The whole world is getting bigger and bigger. There’s even a term for global obesity–globesity.” Mexican investors spent US$10 million to adapt an existing Cancun hotel “to meet the special needs of the plus-size vacationer,” says commercial director Klink. That means wide doorways; strong chairs without arm rests; swimming pools that require just a few steps to enter; king- and queen-sized beds; and extra-large bathrooms with grab bars and higher toilets.
“I salute any organization that promotes size acceptance,” says Frances White, who sits on the board of the California-based National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. The resort is marketing through fat-acceptance organizations to lure U.S. and European beach lovers, along with hefty Latin Americans, otherwise scared away by travel brochures bursting with bikini-clad beauties.

Located on a secluded Cancun beach three kilometers from its nearest neighbor, Freedom Paradise charges $195 per person a night.

To get a feel for the Florida of days gone by, head to the southwestern part of the state, a time-honored vacation land celebrated for its white beaches, glorious sunsets, exotic wildlife, and jungle-like vegetation. There’s an ambience that no longer exists in more congested parts of the Sunshine State.

Spend your days splashing in the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters, lolling by the pool, or working at your golf game. Barrier islands make great day trips, and the shelling is some of the best in the world.

The stretch of coast from Fort Myers south to Marco Island abounds with inviting resorts. Most are a short drive from Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. For a family vacation or romantic getaway, the following retreats showcase Southwest Florida at its best:
SANIBEL HARBOUR

Nestled on a private peninsula overlooking Sanibel and Captiva islands, the 85-acre Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers exudes a romantic Victorian charm. Fabric patterns and tapestries reflect the nostalgic flair, as do wrap-around verandas with dark green railings, wicker rockers, and sky blue ceilings. Distinguished by an octagonal, cupola-crowned pavilion that houses its lobby and restaurants, the idyllic seaside sanctuary creates a comfortable atmosphere for both couples and families. Not only is it perennially rated one of the country’s top spa resorts but wins accolades for its children’s program.
Kids’ Klub activities revolve around beach and pool games, treasure hunts, nature hikes, and arts and crafts. Each day there’s a different theme, from “Pirate Invasion Day” to “Secret Agent Day.” Designed for ages 5 to 12, the Kids’ Klub operates seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; souvenirs, prizes, and lunch are included in the $34 daily fee.

Mom and Dad can enjoy head-to-toe pampering at the spa, which offers more than 60 beauty and body care treatments. It also has a fitness center, indoor exercise pool, and outdoor basketball court, plus the services of certified personal trainers and aerobic instructors. In addition, the spa boasts a BETAR bed–one of only 16 such systems in the world–that allows you to float away on a blissful bed of sound for the ultimate in relaxation.

The resort’s tennis complex, home to the 1989 and 1992 Davis Cup matches, features eight clay courts and a 5,500-seat stadium court. Various clinics and private lessons are available.

When it comes time for family togetherness, Sanibel Harbour fits the bill, offering six swimming pools, a beach, zany crab races, and a private fishing pier. Kayaking through mangrove-lined waterways is always a favorite. There are “just for beginners” family fishing cruises, dolphin sighting cruises, and a shelling cruise that visits Cayo Costa, a barrier island with mounds of shells. A complimentary shuttle runs all day to Sanibel Island, also known for its shell-strewn beaches.

A highlight for many resort guests is cruising on the Sanibel Harbour Princess, a regal 100-foot luxury yacht. Choose from nightly sunset dinner cruises or weekly Sunday brunch sailings.

Accommodation choices at Sanibel Harbour include 240 hotel rooms, 60 two- and three-bedroom condominiums, and a brand new 107-room boutique inn.

HYATT REGENCY COCONUT POINT

A tropical oasis exquisitely landscaped with reflecting pools, fountains, manicured gardens, and golf greens, a new, 450-room Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa sprawls across 26 acres on Estero Bay in Bonita Springs, centrally situated between Fort Myers and Naples. Arriving guests are wowed by the grand, European-style lobby, with its lavish use of marble, mahogany, and potted palms.

Perhaps the resort’s centerpiece is Stillwater Spa, a full-service European spa that offers an extensive menu of therapies designed to invigorate the body, mind, and soul.

Raptor Bay Gulf Club, graced by 22 lakes and an Old Florida-style clubhouse, features an 18-hole championship course recognized by Audubon International for environmental stewardship. An additional nine holes are planned for completion next year.

The largest of four swimming pools has a 140-foot corkscrew waterslide, waterfall, and spacious deck, while an oversized lap pool offers two whirlpool spas. From the marina, a ferry takes guests to Coconut Point’s private beach island, sometimes passing dolphins, sea turtles, or manatees on the way. A stroll down a mangrove-engulfed boardwalk to the marina may reveal rare birds and other endangered species that inhabit the protected preserve. Eco-tours and fly fishing excursions can be booked at the hotel. For kids 3-12, Camp Hyatt activities include field trips to area attractions.

INTIMATE INNS

Those who prefer the intimacy of an elegant boutique hotel have a choice of two jewels in the stylish, culturally-rich resort town of Naples. Both the Inn at Pelican Bay and the Inn on Fifth, under the same ownership, pin their reputations on personalized service and European charm.

The 100-room Inn at Pelican Bay overlooks a tranquil, private lake and is less than a mile from powder-white beaches at the end of the street. Room charging privileges allow guests to rent a cabana from Cabana Dan’s and settle in for an unforgettable sunset. Just as inviting is the inn’s plush pool area, with swaying palms, lush landscaping, and views of the lake, which is frequented by many types of birds. Both the pool and secluded hot tub are heated year-round.

THE PLATE

Costa Rica isn’t known for its flashy cuisine ” staple fare consists largely of rice and beans. But once you reach the Pacific, more fish appears on the menu, as you would expect. El Ocotal is one of the best resorts along this northern stretch of coast, and this is reflected in the food ” although not in the prices. A three- course meal including Caesar salad and whole lobster came to pounds 8. Freshness and simplicity are key: a seafood salad will have just- caught prawns, mussels, crab and the subtlest of dressings. Even their take on California sushi makes the original look overdone.
Everything tastes great when you’ve got a 270-degree view of the Pacific before you. You can just about see the cliffs on either side, but in front there is nothing but the vast, calm ocean. Look directly below you and you’re likely to see a racoon trying to cadge some supper. Its arrival is welcomed by some (the tourists who think it’s cute) and hated by others (the locals, who know a scavenger when they see one). Entertainment is often provided by haughty iguanas and crafty red-crested magpies.

THE BILL

The special fixed-price menus can work out at less than pounds 10 a head. for three courses Lunch for two, including drinks, came to pounds 11. The only pricey part of the menu is the wine list, as Costa Rica relies on expensive imports: an indifferent Malbec from Argentina cost pounds 18.

Summer Breeze

Let your golden summer skin glow, through open-weave coverups. Zu Swimwear swim cami, $68. FAL mesh pants, $155. Malatesta thongs, $62. Agatha gold bracelets, $96. Opposite: Theory mesh top, $95. Vix bikini bottoms with wooden beads, $54. Agatha gold hoops, $48. Beauty note Open-weave and mesh tops are sexy, but they don’t block the sun — you still need to apply a sunscreen when wearing them, Try the new, nongreasy Bain de Soleil Oil-Free Protecteur Lotion Spray SPF 25, with vitamin E, aloe and chamomile, $10.
On location Four Seasons Punta Mita, the setting of these photos, is a 1,000-acre resort on the Mexican Riviera near Puerto Vallarta. Guests can snorkel, surf, sea kayak and ride horseback at the private beach, and work out in The Apuane Spa’s state-of-the-art fitness center, staffed with personal trainers and nutrition consultants. Jungle hikes, jeep tours, several swimming pools, tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course and an open-air spa-cuisine restaurant are also available. Cost of lodging in one of the 113 oceanfront casitas starts at $390 per night, double occupancy (summer): $590 (peak winter rates). Call (800) 332-3442 or go to FSHR.com.

Golden Girl

Subtle details are all you need to express your style - try a tie-side or belted bikini. Learte by Lisa Cabrinha faux-suede bikini with braided leather ties, $125. Roxanne Assoutin for Lee Angel sun necklace, $35. Agatha gold hoops, $48. Opposite: FAL suded mesh top, $80. BCBG Max Azria floral swimsuit bottom (sold with top). $92. Beauty note A hint of color is all you need to give skin a golden glow. Get it safely with self-tanners like Bobbi Brown’s new Sunless Tanning Gel for Face and Body, $28. Elements of Elegance

A not-so-brief swimsuit or a tank and sheer capripants are a sophisticated way to go bare. Calvin Klein Swimwear matte Tactel swimsuit, $92. Opposite: Tsesay cotton tank, $185, and sheer stretch-linen and viscose cargo capris, $245 Gap braided leather belt $35 Beauty note Prevent heat, humidify or water from melting your look by using water proofing products like Clarins Fix Mascara, a clear sealant gel for your favorite mascara, $17 See Buyer’s Guide page 208, for retail information.

FIVETAWEAR

Dress for fun and it will sure follow. Miguelina washedlinen top with lace trim, $145. Miu Miu skirt, $310. Opposite: To the Max! cotton poplin halter, $36. Theory stretch-cotton shorts, $135. Stephane Kelian sandals, $365. Kristine Moore earrings. Nikii B. stretch breacelet, $390. Beauty note Put some salsa in your step with an energizing body lotion like Liz Claiborne’s mango-infused Mambo, $30. It’s rich in Amazonia-nut oil, which helps keep summer skin soft.

Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes. With apologies to Jimmy Buffett and all his Caribbean-carousing Parrotheads, the concept was never truer than it is meandering south on Highway 17 down the coast of South Carolina. From Myrtle Beach to Charleston to Hilton Head, it’s a case of bright lights fading into old times followed by quiet reflection. Take your choice, or enjoy all three.

Myrtle Beach

The Vegas of golf

Where else in the world could you see the Lord’s Prayer inscribed on a cherry pit, a portrait of Vincent Van Gogh rendered entirely in jelly beans and a human-hair bikini while playing 36 holes a day on pretty darn good golf courses for nearly two months and never see the same course twice? Where?
Of course, there’s more to Myrtle Beach than just “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” and Pete Dye’s pot bunkers. There’s the marvelously retro Pavilion, where you can play the same game of skeeball (probably on the same machine) that you played 30 years ago and still parlay a $1 investment into enough tickets to score a blue OO7V water pistol, Made in China, and a three-pack of Smarties from the prize counter. Imagine a world in which prize tickets were coin of the realm. What if you got them in return for green fees? Play Pebble Beach, drive home in a Yugo.
Myrtle Beach is the Rodney Dangerfield of golf. It gets no respect. Too many high-rises, too many lowbrows. Too much goofy golf, too much deep-fried Calabash food. Too many muscle shirts, too many tattoos, too many strip clubs, though in some circles that would be considered an impossibility. It has enough mega golf superstores to make old, historic Nevada Bob’s seem like a British butcher shop. And it is ground zero for every theme restaurant known to the civilized world, from race cars to Hollywood stars.

I’m convinced Myrtle Beach is an acquired taste, and I confess I’m infected. It is what it is, and a certain suspension of disbelief is mandatory. How can you not love a perfectly delightful oceanfront beer-and-burger joint, Bummz Beach Cafe, that admonishes its clientele not to park their motorcycles on the deck? Or, for that matter, not marvel at the Real Life Church (the Wild Wing Cafe in a previous incarnation), whose guest preacher was Meadowlark Lemon? Life’s lessons are served up whole here, usually in a discount package.

Much of the golf that’s played and the hotel rooms that are booked in Myrtle Beach are done through packages, and there are a number of companies that are quite capable of catering to groups of men and/or women in any number. While the pace of building courses on the Grand Strand seems to have finally throttled down from warp speed, discounts are up. And that includes some of the best layouts on the beach.

Tidewater Golf Club, closed for just shy of six months to have the greens and bunkers redone after years of extensive play, has reopened, no longer under the auspices of Troon Golf. The new management, bowing to the peculiarities of the local marketplace, immediately lowered green fees and began accepting package play again. That doesn’t mean it’s cheap, just cheaper. The new greens tend to show ball marks a bit, but they putt extremely well. Ken Tomlinson, who designed this wonderful layout that plays back and forth between the Intracoastal Waterway and the marsh overlooking the beach houses of Cherry Grove, consulted on the restoration.

The new behemoths in town are the four courses at Barefoot Golf & Resort. There’s one each by Davis Love III, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye. I can’t say with any certainty which is the best, but I am prepared to reveal which is the most difficult: The Dye Course is a brute, a ravager of handicaps and a plunderer of par. It is Visigothic golf, reminiscent, in fact, of the Tournament Players Club in Ponte Vedra before that devil was defanged. There are moguls and waste areas and pot bunkers stacked on top of pot bunkers. The fifth hole has so many beehive bunkers on it, it looks as if it was built through a geyser field in Yellowstone National Park. The greens are small and wavy, like warped plastic. And I feel quite certain that the putting carpet on virtually any hole at Mt. Atlanticus Minotaur Golf has more surface area than the 17th hole of the Dye Course. In short, this is a bit of hard work.

While tourists occasionally dream of driving a stake through Dye’s heart, and I actually heard considerably worse fates suggested, the Love, Norman and Fazio courses all seem to have garnered their share of praise, with the Norman layout and its holes along the Intracoastal Waterway perhaps eking out a slim plurality.

Across Highway 17 Bypass from ye olde Dixie Stampede, is the new Grande Dunes, a 7,618-yard Roger Rulewich layout. It’s part of a huge development complex that will include marinas, shopping malls, a hotel, an oceanfront beach club and real estate on more than 2,000 acres spreading to both sides of the Intracoastal. While it’s unlikely any mortal will be playing from the back tees in my lifetime, even if you back off a couple of sets of tees, it’s still plenty long, with big greens and a handful of picturesque holes along the waterway.

As a travel destination, Uruguay is well-known among Latin Americans and Europeans. In the US, it is known, if at all, for its capital of Montevideo, site of the secretariat for the Mercosur trade block. It’s a shame, because Montevideo is both a fascinating city and an excellent starting point for trips to the beach resort of Punta del Este and the historic village of Colonia, each within a two-hour drive.
We set up “base” at the Holiday Inn Montevideo, just off the Plaza Independencia. The Plaza is at the heart of the city’s commercial district, and demarcates the boundary between its modern downtown and the cobble-stoned colonial city. Standing in the Plaza gives you a 360-degree view of the architecture for which Montevideo is famous: the colonial city gate, Puerta de la Ciudadela; the baroque Palacio Salvo apartment building; the art-deco Palacio Rinaldi with its hand-crafted reliefs; and the contemporary towers of modernistic hotels and office buildings. In some spots, you can even catch a glimpse of the wide water of the Rio de la Plata, which divides Uruguay from Argentina.

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A short distance from Plaza Independencia, you can see a completely different style of architecture at the Mercado del Puerto. The wrought-iron Mercado began life as a prefabricated train station made in Britain and destined for Chile. Shipping problems meant it never got further than Montevideo’s port. Today, it houses an assortment of restaurants and lunch grills, serving Uruguay’s famous grilled steaks and sausages, as well as excellent prawns.
Other architectural delights include the Catedral Metropolitano, worth a visit for its ornate tombs, wall tiling and unusual domes. A drive through the Prado residential neighborhood (the city’s first wealthy neighborhood, now middle class) is a treat for its historic century-old houses and its Platanos Australes trees, which form shady canopies. In Prado, take a few minutes to delight at the Petit Notre Dame–a smaller copy of the Notre Dame, both inside and out.

While Montevideo is clearly an urban, working and sometimes gritty city, the capital has an extensive array of public parks, rife with greenery and monuments. The gigantic Prado Park, for one, offers a tempting place to relax and picnic, and is home to more than 60 varieties of roses in its aptly named Rose Garden. And do not miss the Plaza de Armada, on the outskirts of Montevideo, jutting from the shores of the Plata. If you can, arrive in time to watch the sunset from the Monumento a los Caidos en Servicio de la Armada (monument to all those who died in service of the navy), from where you can see the water, coastline and city center, all at once.

For more architectural delights, head down the coast about two hours to the Colonial city of Colonia. The rural trip is full of diversions, including the Arenas Granja Colonia (the Arenas Colonia Farm). Spend some time tasting the farm’s array of eclectically-flavored jams (from onion and red pepper to pumpkin and guava) before heading to Colonia itself. Originally a Portuguese settlement before falling into Spanish hands, it holds a dense collection of 17th century structures. An architectural dig at the Plaza de Interpretacion reveals the footprint of some of these antique buildings, while others remain open for viewing along side streets. The preponderance of antique automobiles cruising the streets completes the trip back in time. You can even hop on a hydrofoil for a pleasant 45-minute trip across the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Aires.

In the other direction from Montevideo, physically and psychologically, is the vacation resort of Punta del Este, which plays home to the glitterati of South America, especially its entertainment elite. Located on a peninsula which divides the Rio de la Plata from the Atlantic, it has long, immaculate beaches lined with high rises. In contrast to Montevideo, Punta claims a well-developed tourist industry, and features a variety of restaurants, boutique and major hotels, art galleries and museums. A nearby island colony of sea lions, reachable by ferry, and whale-watching opportunities, offer other diversions. The highlight of our day trip to Punta was a leisurely lunch at a beachfront restaurant, open to the sand and surf. With a gentle breeze wafting through, we got a much-needed break from beef by sampling the local fish and seafood.

When you think of Sudbury, cartoons don’t immediately come to mind. Instead. you might think of the Big Nickel and the Stompin’ Tom classic “Sudbury Saturday Night.” But currently the city is trying to build a new image for itself, one that paints Sudbury as a town that has more to be proud of than simply its mining industry. One of the city’s biggest new achievements are the jobs that have been created in Information Technology by inviting IT companies to base themselves in the city. One such company s March Entertainment, the creators of the new Canadian cartoon series Chilly Beach.
Cartoons for teenagers and adults have become some of the most popular and subversive television programming available over the past 10 years. American shows such as The Simpsons. South Park, King of the Hill and more recently The Family Guy, are replacing sitcoms on our tubes. So it’s about time Canada had one of its own. Targeted at the 13-to-30 demographic, Chilly Beach is set in a small resort town in the northern part of the country and is packed with all the Bob-and-Doug-like Canadiana you can think of. Poking fun at the stereotypes some Americans believe about Canada, the creators, Doug Sinclair and Dan Hawes, invented a town built on an iceberg where it’s snowy year round. There’s always an abundance of poutine and beer. and even the polar bears are polite. And don’t forget about hockey. Dale MacDonald, the Zamboni-driving star of the show, is a big Montreal “Tourtieres” fan, while his best friend, Frank Shakleford, loves the Toronto “Ptarmigans”. Yet somehow they still manage to keep their friendship alive. Only in a cartoon, you might say.