by Lawyerish
Around this time of year, as the snow piles up along the sidewalks and the bitter wind cuts through my puffy down coat, my mind begins to wander to warm places I've known, places where soft, balmy breezes whisper through palm fronds and waves lap gently against pale sand beaches.
A few resorts that I've been to over the years come immediately to mind when I escape in daydreams to sunnier shores. These are places where the most you'll want to do on a given day is perhaps go out on a boat for a little snorkeling, but more likely the hours will pass with you on a lounge chair on a beach, with someone at your beck and call to provide cool drinks and tasty sustenance whenever needed. Some other time, we'll talk about great hotels for city exploration or adventure, but these are meant for maximum relaxation. Say ahhhhhh...
Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos.
My husband and I spent a blissful week at Parrot Cay for our honeymoon back in 2003, and we've been jonesing to go back ever since. The rooms are simple, with crisp white linens and white wooden walls, and many have an ocean view from private balconies, which feature massive, oh-so-inviting daybeds piled with pillows. Parrot Cay is on an island of its own and the resort is quite intimate, so it feels private and secluded, as if you're half a world away from home. The beach is incomparably white and soft; the water is that perfect Caribbean blue-green; the food and drinks are spectacular; the service is top-notch; and the spa...ohhhh, the spa will unkink all those knots and send you oozing back to your room to bliss out on your porch with a cocktail and a snack and not a care in the world, and you will never want to leave.
The One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico.
This place can only be described as off the hook. When you arrive at the One&Only, every staff member you meet puts their hand over their heart and bows their head at you. It's almost off-putting, but it's a small touch that suggests just how service-oriented this resort is. If that weren't enough, you have your own butler for the duration of your stay; whatever your heart may desire, any time of day, you just summon your butler and poof! the object of your desire materializes. I know, this is beginning to sound obnoxious, and I thought I would be uncomfortable with it, but it's not at all weird or stuffy, and we didn't even use our butler (Jesus!) very often, but whenever we did -- always tentatively, apologetically -- he practically did handsprings into our room to help out.
Beyond the over-the-top customer service, the resort itself is breathtaking, with whitewashed buildings and orange tile roofs that pop against the brilliant blue sky. The grounds meander through lush greenery and tropical flowers, and the beaches are long, gorgeous and swimmable, which is rare in Cabo. There are beds with thatched-roof huts on the beach for lounging the day away, and several pools to choose from should you want a calm dip rather than frolicking in waves. And the rooms. Oh, you guys. Our room was positively enormous, but not cold or impersonal. The stone soaking bathtub was perfect for unwinding, and again the balcony with a daybed overlooking palm trees and deep blue sea had me at peak relaxation within a day of our arrival.
Los Altos de Eros, Tamarindo, Costa Rica.
Los Altos is not quite a beach resort, as it's perched on a hill overlooking the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, but it has everything that you could possibly want for a relaxing getaway and more. It's also more of an inn than a resort, as it's got just a handful of rooms, all arrayed around a large, tiled pool facing the valley and the sea beyond, ensuring plenty of peace and quiet (and it's adults-only, to boot).
Meals are taken family style in the open-air dining room, which concerned me when we first booked, as we're usually not B&B people and our vacations are generally more about the two of us than about socializing. But somehow, it works at Los Altos. The food is incredible, which certainly helps, and somehow this inn and the truly delightful couple who own it draw the perfect mix of people. We met travelers from around the world, and were sad to say goodbye at the end of our stay.
We stayed at Los Altos at the end of an action-packed ten days in Costa Rica in 2006, so our butts didn't move much from the poolside lounges; but if you're in the mood for some pep, there are plenty of activities and the inn staff will drive you to the beach or jungle or anything in between. There's also a yoga ashram on-site where you can get your om on and a stunningly awesome spa with a vast menu of treatments. All this, and prices are unbeatable for this level of luxury, especially considering that all food and unlimited beverages (wine at 9am by the pool, baby!) are included, as is ground transportation.
I don't know about you, but I could sure use a vacation...
{Photo Credits: parrotcay.como.bz; yours truly}
