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Unspoiled Caribbean
St. Croix is the Caribbean’s unsung dive jewel, with reef dives, pier dives, wreck dives, and wall dives, plus a tucked away innocence now gone in some parts of the Caribbean. Beyond the towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted, St. Croix remains a quiet place of breeze-tickled palms and verdant hills where a local on a ferry might still glance at a foot locker of dive gear, smile broadly, and ask: “Are you a musician, mon?” Spring is the perfect time to fin down Cane Bay’s wall, a vast fall-away shearing smothered with fans and corals and run through with bright schools of fish. (800) 338-3843, www.canebayscuba.com — Ken McAlpine
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The Course that Hockey Built
The brainchild of former NHL star turned golfer Len Barrie, Bear Mountain is today’s “it” development in Western Canada. Gathering together some of his NHL pals, Barrie managed to turn the spotlight on Victoria’s year-round vacation appeal, creating what is now Vancouver Island’s first Nicklaus co-designed course. Investment has soared and next up will be a second Nicklaus-designed Valley Course. Together, the two courses will be the only 36-hole Nicklaus-designed golf at one resort in Canada. (888) 533-2327, www.bearmountain.ca — Nicole Alper
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Tuscan Luxury
If your vacation dreams have ever included a Tuscan farmhouse or castle, you’ll relish the new Castello di Casole resort and residence club in Tuscany. The residences are set in restored farmhouses, maintaining an authentic Italian feel with Tuscan decor and such touches as forno ovens on the terrace, along with modern amenities such as private pools, guesthouses, and even a personal chef who will come to your residence and prepare everything from breakfast in bed to a dinner party. The full-service boutique hotel opening in 2008 will feature fine dining and cafes, no doubt using wine from the property’s private vineyard and olive oil from its olive groves. www.castellodicasole.com — Lori Stacy
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Homage to Champions
The late Payne Stewart is memorialized in one of 40 new villas at the FOUR SEASONS RESORT AND CLUB DALLAS AT LAS COLINAS in Texas. The suite features photos from the golfer’s wins, books, a display of an actual outfit worn on tour, plus a small replica of a bronze statue from his 1999 U.S. Open win at Pinehurst No. 2. The ample-size suite (there’s a large dining room which seats 16) overlooks a new lake set on the resort’s TPC Course No. 18. From $2,500 per night. Just above the Payne Stewart Suite is the Champion’s Suite, featuring photos of every winner of the Byron Nelson Championship played at the resort’s course since 1983. www.fourseasons.com — L.S.
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 Dressed for Sound
Ermenegildo Zegna has always been known for innovative fabrics. Now the Italian luxury men’s clothing brand has teamed with London-based Eleksen, makers of technically-advanced “smart” fabrics, to create this season’s iJacket. The $750 topper is made of Microtene, an exceptionally lightweight wind- and waterproof-cloth, and features a built-in touch-control panel at the cuff that allows you to interface with your iPod without ever removing it from your pocket. Forget about unsightly wires: Embedded within the sleeve are three layers of carbon-coated nylon that, when touched, send a charge that wirelessly controls both the power and the volume. (888) 880-3462, www.zegna.com — William Kissel
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 Heavy Cargo
Tourbach, the newest collection of performance luggage from Victorinox, makers of the original Swiss Army knife, is made of a proprietary armor-like ballistic nylon called Performax treated with NanoSphere, a patent-pending permanent process that renders the cloth water-, stain-, and abrasion-resistant. Likewise, the telescoping handles are made from the same tempered aluminum alloy used in the wing struts of commercial airliners, one of many technically advanced details that make these bags nearly indestructible. From $100 to $845. (888) 658-0717, www.victorinox.com — W.K.
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 Natural Light
California-based Spaltana shines a new light on the notion of making environmental elements suitable for interior spaces with its modern collection of table lamps and art pieces interpreted from driftwood, seashells, fossilized stones, and other elements found in nature. Among the more compelling home objects is a collection of Gin Twist table lamps made of bi-colored fallen and dead standing Rocky Mountain juniper, $750 to $900, and a Chinese Cong Pillar lamp made from a single piece of carved and marbled jade, pictured, $1,800. (650) 207-8743, www.spaltana.com — W.K.
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Postcard From Venice
In Venice, I’ve always stayed at Hotel Cipriani, a vast oasis of luxury on its own island across the Grand Canal. So when, before a recent sojourn, the words “fully booked” hit my heart like electroshock, I contemplated cancellation of my entire trip — until a bit of research unearthed a hidden gem called Ca Maria Adele.
The water taxi sailed up to the magnificently domed white Santa Maria della Salute church, and stopped so close I thought I would be sleeping in a pew. But then a door popped open to an adjoining reconverted 16th-century palazzo, and hotelier Alessio Campa and his brother, Nicola, the most hospitable Venetians I’ve ever encountered, welcomed me inside.
Candlelit and submerged below the surface of the lagoon, the lobby was like the home of an extremely rich and impossibly chic relative. My room, one of 12, also submerged — giving the visitor the sensation of sleeping beneath the waves — was a wonder of rich terrazzo, Murano glass, and soft chandelier lighting. The “boys” practically carried me on a sedan chair through their quarter of the city, the Dorsoduro arts district, rarely discovered by tourists, but the most fashionable neighborhood of villas which many a contessa and baronessa call home.
In fewer than five minutes, a water taxi took me to the center of the action at St. Mark’s Square. Then, blissfully, I would return to Ca Maria Adele, where, with its luxurious bar, “theme” suites, and panoply of nearby restaurants and attractions, I was increasingly reluctant to leave.
Mama Ca Maria! I’ve found a second home! 011-39-041-5203078, www.camariaadele.it — Mark Seal
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Classy Cottages
Canoe Bay, the 280-acre luxury getaway in the heart of Wisconsin’s lake country, has added two new enticing reasons to visit. Set at the top of a hill with stellar views of Lake Wahdoon, the two just-built Lookout Cottages offer utter privacy and Canoe Bay’s renowned Relais & Châteaux service. The Arts and Crafts-style cottages feature soaring cedar ceilings, peerless views, and spa-inspired bathrooms. The adults-only resort is a destination for peace-and-nature-seeking gourmands — the wine cellar has over 530 selections and their cuisine is top-rated by the Zagat Guide. Per-night, per-couple room rates begin at $325, cottages at $375 per night. (800) 568-1995, www.canoebay.com — LAURA VOGEL
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Strolling Santa Fe
Since 1984, The Wayfarers has been providing guests in-depth walking tours through worldwide regions such as Burgundy, Tuscany, and the Cotswolds. The company recently added Santa Fe, New Mexico, to its list of destinations. Guided by knowledgeable Walk
Leaders, you’ll roam through green valleys, desert canyons, mountain trails, and forests on paths once traversed by conquistadors. After a day spent exploring, you’ll stop at some of the city’s remarkable restaurants to refuel and refresh. The tour also visits the Georgia O’Keeffe museum and Ghost Ranch, the artist’s summer home and inspiration. www.thewayfarers.com — L.S.
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Get Fit, Atlantis-Style
The dream resort Atlantis, Paradise Island, is taking workouts to new heights with its new fitness facility, which includes a soaring rock-climbing wall. Night owls will love the evening nightclub-style cycling classes featuring DJs spinning dance tunes while you spin under disco lights. Also part of the facility: new fitness classes, including comprehensive yoga and
Pilates, and wellness seminars to help guests customize programs they can bring home with them. www.atlantis.com — N.A.
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Sweet Staff Retreat
A happy and fit staff is a productive staff. And few places can make a group happier — or more active — than Lake Austin Spa Resort just outside Austin, Texas. Perched along the shores of Lake Austin in the picturesque Texas Hill Country, the cozy resort can accommodate groups of up to 30 people for everything from hiking to hydro-biking. More than 20 fitness activities are offered daily, including sculling, kayaking, yoga, Pilates, swimming, and high-energy cardio classes. Custom programs and activities can be designed to enhance morale, build camaraderie, and richen relationships among staffers.
Or just send the team to the 25,000-square-foot LakeHouse Spa for a Thai massage, Texas pecan scrub, or one of a hundred other relaxing treatments. You’re likely to receive a terrific return on investment. Rates start at $395 per person per night. (800) 847-5637,
www.lakeaustin.com — Janet Thomas
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Kids at Play
Adults aren’t the only ones staying fit on vacation. Thanks to a wave of resort programs, today’s kids are getting in on the action. Raffles Resort Canouan Island (www.rafflescanouan.com) has its very own Island Sugar Palm Kids Club with a treehouse-shaped clubhouse featuring a tube slide that whisks kids from a second-story playroom straight to an outdoor pirate’s playground. Kids ages four to nine can also take tennis and golf lessons with the resort’s pros.
If the Whiteface Lodge’s year-round ice skating rink and 10-pin bowling alley aren’t enough to keep kids active, those ages seven to 12 can canoe, kayak, or scour the area on scavenger hunts with the Kids Club, a nature exploration program highlighting the beautiful Adirondack Mountains (www.thewhitefacelodge.com). Harbor House Village and Cottages at the Boat Basin Nantucket offers surfing and sailing programs for kids and can even arrange visits at local day camps. www.harborhousevillage.com
Meanwhile, Miami Beach’s Acqualina, a Rosewood Resort’s AcquaMarine Program (pictured above), takes a water-oriented spin on children’s fitness with Acqua Patrol, teaching kids about the Coast Guard as they participate in a beach boot camp relay and kayak rescue missions. And with Junior Guards, young ones will get to play lifeguard as they simulate pool rescues. www.acqualinaresort.com — N.A.
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Spa with an Altitude
Allegria Spa at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is super-sizing itself. The redesigned spa will soon reach 30,000 square feet and have 23 new treatment rooms, making Allegria one of the country’s largest spas. Taking center stage is “Aqua Sanitas,” a water sanctuary where guests move between the Caldaria (110-degree) custom steam rooms and the cooler Tepedaria (around 98 degrees) rooms. Couples can relax in one of four deluxe treatment suites with private steam showers and massage tables or keep it active in the enlarged fitness area where they will find “Kinesis” (a new method of conditioning incorporating a 360-degree rotating pulley system), a yoga facility, Pilates studio, and poolside stretching room, all of which bring the outside in with natural ma-terials such as glass, tile, and stone. — N.A.
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A Place in the Sun
With a crisp, refined decor inspired by 1940s-era yachting culture, Florida’s most anticipated new resort has just opened its doors. The 166-room St. Regis Resort Fort Lauderdale, on
Florida’s Gold Coast, boasts views of the Atlantic and the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Here, the famous St. Regis “Butler Service” is in full effect, as is a 29,000-square-foot pool deck overlooking the sea. Amenities are top-notch, of course, and include a state-of-the-art two-story spa. Rooms start at $509 per night. (954) 465-2300, www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis — L.V.
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Furthermore
Your summary of what else is new and noteworthy
-An inspired confluence of technology and design, the limited-edition Ferrari Art.Engine is a peerless home sound system crea-ted by the eponymous Italian automaker and American audio engineers David Wiener Ventures. Made of carbon-fiber and billet aluminum, the freestanding 47-inch stereo system has the look of a racing-style engine, and is available in Ferrari-inspired colors. Capable of playing MP3s, CDs, satellite radio, and synching with an iPod, the Art.Engine will be available to just a rarefied few — only 1,000 will be produced. $20,000. (435) 649-3458, www.dwvartengine.com
-A $9 million renovation is transforming the intimate Hyatt Key West Resort and Marina into a “tropical modern” experience with a spa-like ambience, including 118 guestrooms with private balconies, plasma TVs, rain showerheads, and Hyatt’s signature Grand Bed.
www.keywest.hyatt.com
-Gone are the days of taking a cruise and automatically coming home with a few extra pounds — especially with Crystal Cruises’ health-themed cruises onboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, which recently emerged from a $23 million refurbishment with redesigned staterooms boasting LCD flat-screen TVs (for relaxing after a very active day, of course). Pilates, yoga, tai chi, body sculpting, and challenging water workouts are the norm. Or try Cardio Ki-Bo Circuit Training, a mix of boxercise, kickboxing, and aerobic conditioning. Specialists from The Cleveland Clinic also lead seminars on a wide range of health and wellness topics, sure to be of benefit long after the cruise. www.crystalcruises.com
-Houston’s Hotel Derek has just undergone a significant redesign, and the result is a fresh, modern, and sophisticated mix of traditional Texan (cowskins) and up-to-the-minute design (comfy sofas with oversize throw pillows). The hotel is set in the Uptown Galleria shopping area, and boasts one of the city’s top restaurants, bistro moderne. (Their French fries are, rightfully, taking the town by storm.) 2525 West Loop South, (866) 292-7100,
www.hotelderek.com
-Viewers can climb the heights of the Alps at the IMAX film The Alps: Giants of Nature, opening in March. The movie is shot on and around the Matterhorn, Monch, Jungfrau, and Eiger mountains and follows climbers John Harlin III and Robert and Daniela Jasper as they attempt to climb the North Face of the Eiger to retrace the footsteps of Harlin’s father, who died there in the 1960s. www.imax.com
-The Tides in Miami Beach is getting a major makeover thanks to glamorous interior designer Kelly Wearstler. The former white-on-white look of this Miami legend is now going Hollywood retro chic with animal prints, pink leather chairs, signature poolside cabanas and a mish-mash of rich textures including wood, rope, and shell. www.tidessouthbeach.com
— N.A., L.S., J.T., and L.V.
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