Healing Waters: The Springs Resort and Spa is one of Costa Rica’s top thermal resorts. BY MELISSA RUTTANAI Fuchsia orchids perfume the air. Steam rises from thermal pools, the water clouded with minerals. A crisp breeze sweeps through what seems to be the Garden of Eden or perhaps a lush desert oasis. Miles below Arenal Volcano,…
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HOTEL REVIEW: Riu Panama Plaza — Panama City, Panama
The Riu Panama Plaza is the hotel chain’s first foray into the urban hospitality concept, set in the heart of Panama City. THE ARRIVAL: With 645 rooms, the Riu Panama Plaza is largest hotel in Panama City, Panama (for now, that is; this fast-growing metropolis has larger properties in the pipeline). It also marks…
HOTEL REVIEW: Camino Real Polanco, Mexico City
The entrance courtyard at the Camino Real Polanco in Mexico City. During my current visit to Mexico City, I’m a guest at the Camino Real Polanco, situated in one of the city’s most upscale neighborhoods. I have to say I’ve fallen in love with this property’s style, which can’t be found in any other hotel…
5 Hot Hotels in the Atacama Desert, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
The craggy bluffs, dusty trails and sandy terrain of the desert aren’t usually associated with luxury hotels. But in Chile’s Atacama Desert — by some accounts the driest desert on earth — a remarkable thing has sprouted in the past few years: An oasis of upscale desert lodges that combine amenities and style with a…
Sun and Sand Take on New Meanings in Chile’s Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert in Chile offers postcard-perfect photo opportunities. On Wednesday, I flew from Santiago de Chile to Calama, the main airport serving the most tourism-friendly region of Chile’s northern deserts. After the two-hour flight, we took a one-hour van ride to San Pedro de Atacama, where a growing number of luxury desert resorts have been…
HOTEL REVIEW: Grand Hyatt Santiago
Walking into my guestroom at at the Grand Hyatt Santiago was a rather impressive experience. The gently curved windows provide a wide-open, sky-high view of the soaring modern towers that populate the upscale Las Condes district in Santiago de Chile. The Grand Hyatt Santiago is, in fact, one of the areas most recognizable modern towers…