Read article : South Florida's most expensive hotel rooms
November 4, 2011|By Doreen Hemlock, SunSentinel
Luxury resorts in South Florida are getting even pricier this winter. Try $7,500 a night for the presidential suite at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
Few can afford that. But hotel consultant Scott Brush says there are plenty of celebrities, entrepreneurs and foreign guests who can pay for South Florida's deluxe digs, some with private elevators.
"The top 1 percent in the country is people making more than $400,000 a year. And if we're 300 million people, that's 3 million," said Brush of Brush & Co. in Miami. "That's a fair size market."
The Boca resort's presidential suite, for example, has hosted actress-singer Jennifer Lopez and the Egyptian billionaire father of Dodi Fayed, whose son died in a car crash with Princess Diana.
The price gap is wide between top suites and most rooms. Average hotel rates were $125 a night in Broward and $155 a night in Palm Beach county last January.
Here are six of the most expensive rooms in the area and what you get for the money:
• W Fort Lauderdale: The Extreme Wow Suite at the hip W spans 4,330 square feet, including a wrap-around balcony accessible from each room and equipped for entertaining. The terrace can hold up to 25 people on its lounge furniture and dining table – more than many homes.
Each has two-bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and marble bathrooms in its 2,200 square feet, not counting the wraparound balconies.
The price this winter: From $1,500 to $3,000 per night, depending on the date, which is similar to last year.
• Boca Raton Resort & Club: The Tower Presidential Suite starts on the 26h floor and includes two levels on 6,000 square feet, linked by a private elevator and by a spiral staircase.
The suite has three bedrooms, each with a king-size bed and private bathroom. The master bedroom also has fitness equipment inside and an oversized marble bathtub with jets in it.
The price this winter: $7,500 a night, up about 5 percent from last year.
• The Breakers Palm Beach: The Imperial Suite was renovated last year before other rooms were redone in an $80 million resort upgrade. Its new décor has a marine theme, with starfish designs on pillows and white coral-like branches on lamp bases.
The one-bedroom suite has five step-out balconies with ocean views. There's a six-seat dining area, wet bar, half bathroom for guests, a new sound system and personal concierge services.
The price this winter: Reduced to $5,400 a night from $5,900 because other rooms are more newly renovated.
It has two bedrooms and can expand to three or four bedrooms by adding a connecting room. Newly renovated by Canadian designer Brian Gluckstein, the style is upscale beach house, with fabrics in sea-glass colors and custom furnishings with seashell glaze.
For children, there are brand-name accessories, including a crib and changing table from Maclaren's Cabine collection.
The price this winter: $4,500 a night, up from $4,000 a night last winter.
• Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale: The Two-Bedroom Oceanfront Residential Suite on the 17th floor comes with access for four to the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge. The 8th floor lounge has free food and drink daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., a separate TV room, sitting area, computer station and a dedicated concierge.
The suite has 1,345 square feet, not counting the balconies. It offers a granite-countertop kitchenette, dining table for four, 37-inch flat-screen TVs, marble bath, plush bathrobes, free DVD rentals and a "digital guest control system" to help you turn on and off the TVs and lights.
The price this winter: $2,500, up from $2,000 last winter.
natural wood tones throughout this lengthy bathroom. Dual vanity with marble backsplash over floating cabinetry places mirrors between lengths of window, while all glass shower takes up end of the room." alt="Sparkling mixture of bright marble and natural wood tones throughout this lengthy bathroom. Dual vanity with marble backsplash over floating cabinetry places mirrors between lengths of window, while all glass shower takes up end of the room." width="1024" height="681" src="src" />
Read article : A Water's Edge Retreat on Kelleys Island
By VacationIdea Staff. Last Updated on September 30, 2017.
A Water's Edge Retreat is a luxurious bed and breakfast retreat on Kelleys Island in Lake Erie, Ohio. Located four miles north of Marblehead in the western basin of Lake Erie, Kelleys Island is the largest American island in the lake and is a popular vacation destination for families and couples alike.
A Water's Edge Retreat offers a relaxing, home-away-from-home retreat with elegant accommodations, delicious home-cooked cuisine, modern conveniences and friendly, welcoming service. All guest rooms and suites offer beautiful views Sandusky Bay, and most offer views of Marblehead Lighthouse and Cedar Point, and guests can kick back and watch the lake freighters make their way across the lake.
Guests are treated to a gourmet breakfast served every morning, which can be enjoyed in the beautiful formal dining room or outside on the covered verandah overlooking the lake. Cheese and wine hour is held each afternoon, offering samples of some of the region’s best cheese and wines. A roaring fire in the lounge offers cozy respite on chillydays, and sunny beach decks are ideal for relaxing in the summer months, and a whirlpool spa is a perfect place to unwind.
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The Robert Stephen Waterfront Jacuzzi Suite is a stunning L-shaped carpeted suite with a queen-sized bed dressed with country-style linens, an en-suite bathroom with a double soaking tub and glass-enclosed corner shower, and separate sitting area with gorgeous lake views. The sunny living room features a love seat and three large windows overlooking the lake while a skylight over the tub in the bathroom offers the perfect place to soak up the stars.
The Charles Lawrence Suite is an Executive Jacuzzi/Honeymoon Suite and offers extra levels of luxury and comfort. This beautiful two-room waterfront-facing suite features a master bedroom with aqueen-size bed dressed in plush country-style linens, and a private en-suite bathroom with walk-in ceramic-tiled shower and double Jacuzzi bathtub. Two separate sitting areas enjoy a large fireplace, overstuffed chairs and an ottoman, modern amenities such as television, VCR and CD player and opens onto a sunny porch overlooking the lake.
The Marguerite Suite is a Premium Waterfront Guestroom that offers a large queen bedroom and separate sunny sitting area with windows that look out over the lake. This gorgeous waterfront-facing suite features a queen-size bed in country fabrics, an en-suite bathroom with glass-enclosed shower and bathtub, and extra sitting nook with large windows facing the lake and modern amenities, including CD player and stereo player.
The Paul Francis Suite is an alluring waterfront-facing guestroom with three-sided views of the lake and sunny spacious living areas. The Suite features a queen-size bedroom and en-suite bathroom with bathtub and shower. A cozy sitting nook has a day bed / pull-out sofa for extra guests and desk and chair.
There is a minimum two-night stay at all guest suites and each suite includes a gourmet breakfast each morning, afternoon cheese and wine, beverages and hors d'oeuvres in the evening, bicycle and discounted golf cart rental, a $20 massage therapy gift voucher, and an after-dinner treat.
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A Water's Edge Retreat serves a delicious gourmet breakfast each morning, featuring the usual favorites and extra treats. Enjoy hot selections such as eggs, omelets, bacon and sausages or go continental with cereals, tomato, yogurt, fresh fruit, and juice. Freshly brewed coffee and tea adds the final touch and breakfast can be enjoyed in the lovely formal dining room, on the sunny covered verandah or on one of the beach decks overlooking the lake. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages are served every afternoon as the sun sinks below the lake horizon and sweet treats are offered just before bed.
Regarding dinner, there are several excellent restaurants around the island, serving a variety of cuisine in casual and laid-back settings. Bag the Moon is a family-friendly restaurant whichis open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves a menu of all-American fare such as ribs, steaks, and chicken while the Caddy Shack Restaurant & Buckeye Bar is the best spot to go for fresh seafood. They also serve excellent pizza, sandwiches, salads and pitas and have fried chicken specials in the week. Beer-lovers can head to Kelleys Island Brewery, which has a sunny beer garden in which to enjoy a few local brew, cocktails and sangria alongside casual cuisine.
Wine-lovers can enjoy sampling the vintages of Kelleys Island Wine Co., which is home to a variety of award-winning wines and a European-style deli and bistro serving delicious light lunches and snacks. Special barbecue nights are held on The Grilling Deck and Coffee House, and Ice Cream Parlor serves mouthwatering treats, all on the grounds of Kelleys Island Wine Co. The Island House Martini Bar and Restaurant is a popularspot with great food, beer and wine and ambiance, and Captain’s Corner is a fun, family-friendly eatery that serves a range of favorites such as hamburgers, steak, pasta and a special kid’s menu with beautiful views of Lake Erie in the background.
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In addition to beautiful accommodations, A Water's Edge Retreat offers deluxe amenities, including a gourmet breakfast every morning, bicycles and golf carts for exploring the surrounding area, and a hot tub in the garden for the ultimate in relaxation.
For more active pursuits, the island boasts excellent hiking and cycling paths and the tranquil waters of the lake are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. The lake is packed with perch, catfish and smallmouth bass, which makes for excellent fishing and there are several boat launches for those who prefer fishing froma boat rather than the shoreline.
Birders will delight in the myriad species of birds that call the island home and can partake in free week-long nature and birding camps while wildlife-lovers can discover several rare species such as Lake Erie water snake and theKelleys Island salamander. Monarch butterflies can also be seen in their thousands as they migrate to Mexico for the winter, and shy white-tailed deer with their tiny fawns can be seen grazing at dusk and dawn.
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A Water's Edge Retreat is located on Kelleys Island in the western basin of Lake Erie. Measuring more than 2,800 square miles and the largest island American island in the lake, Kelleys Island is just four miles from Marblehead and twelve miles from Sandusky, both of which are on the Ohio Peninsula and offer a variety of things to see, do and enjoy.
The entire island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to many remnants of the past from architectural styles and scenic treasures to ancient natural wonders, which can easily be explored by walking, cycling or golf cart.
The Inscription Rock State Memorial is a large, flat-topped boulder on the south side of the island that features signs of an early Indian hunting ground. The Boulder has faint pictographs of men, animals, and birds that are thought to have been drawn by Erie Indians more than 400 years ago.
Kelleys Island is one of extreme natural beauty and is packed with lovely landscapes, beautiful flora, and plenty of wildlife. The island boasts miles of self-guided nature and hiking trails that wind along the shoreline and through flower-studded woodlands, lush wetlands, and rolling meadows. The East Quarry Trail explores the east stone quarry, which is home to ancient fossils.
The 17-mile shoreline of the island is home to a variety of endemic and migrating bird species on their journey across the lake. Visitors can enjoy free week-long nature camps that explore the island’s bird population.
The Lake offers a wealth of water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, and power boating, and anglers will delight in the excellent fishing. Shipwrecks on the bottom of the lake dating back to the 1700 and 1800s provide plenty of fun for snorkelers and scuba divers. The Kelleys Island State Park has a lovely sandy beach with safe swimming, a quaint stone pier for fishing and a boat launching ramp.
827 E Lakeshore Drive, Kelleys Island, OH 43438, Phone: 419-746-2333
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