48 Hours at the Byblos Saint-Tropez

Some people describe it as legendary, some as an institution. After my unforgettable stay I agree with both and conclude it as a one-of-a-kind experience - and finally it was the absolute highlight of my summer holidays! A real Leading Hotel of the World as it should be!

Saint Tropez, the capital of jetset has of course many many luxury hotels on relatively small space. I was always seeking to stay at the new Sezz or the Muse, both near Ramatuelle, and far from the old town of Saint Tropez. Due to the fact that I only had two nights to discover Saint Tropez, I knew I had to find an alternative. I wanted to go to the beach by hotel shuttle during the day and visit the town at night. So the only option was to look for a hotel in the centre. Therefore I came across the Byblos and I never regret this decision during my stay.

From the kind first "Bonjour" at the entrance, the experience continued by a very kind and smooth check-in by the so kind Barbara at the front desk. As they know how to manage a world class hotel, they upgraded me to a breath-taking Two Bedroom Seaview Suite and continued with treating me like royalty by serving a bottle of Rosé Byblos and homemade sweets - I was overwhelmed!

The style is typical for this part of the Cote d'Azur and I can assure that the Byblos is 100 per cent Saint Tropez, no minimalistic design nor unprofessional staff members. Of course the main highlight of the day was my Suite with a balcony overloooking whole Saint Tropez, the pool and the Mediterranean Sea of course. Upstairs there was another bedroom with twin beds, en-suite bathroom with shower and a completely new Samsung LED-TV with the function to connect your mobile device. On the main floor of this Deluxe Suite, a large living room with writing desk was connected by a sliding door to a master bedroom with oversized King abed and en-suite bathroom and double basins. The only toilet was situated next to the entrance of the Suite.

The concierge was extraordinary and reserved a table at a fabulous new Retaurant called "Le G" and made it possible to get sunbeds on Club 55, without having lunch there (Normally impossible during the high season)! The shuttle goes to every beach you want to go and whenever you want to go. When we arrived at Club 55 we were given one beach bag each with two towels, provided by the driver of the Byblos.

The breakfast comes with a picturesque terrace, perfect service and pool views. The buffet is well selected with high quality products and the best: it is served until 12 noon! That's amazing, isn't it? And welcomed as well, after a typical Tropezian night in one of the world renowned clubs. Unfortunately the glamorous Le Caves du Roy was not open on weekdays so we could not attend one of the dazzling party nights there. Instead we enjoyed a late-night dinner on the harbor in a very chic restaurant, followed by a drink on the terrace of Byblos' B-Bar. 

Finally, the Byblos is simply a gorgeous place. I love this hotel and will return there again soon.

We would like to thank the Byblos Hotel Saint Tropez and Groupe Floirat for the generous special offer and the amazing suite upgrade.

72 Hours at the Hotel Il Pellicano

First of all I have to admit: the Il Pellicano is on every luxury taveler's top list. So of course I had certain (high) expectations and of course I was preparing myself for the stay by reading some reviews of recent guests on tripadvisor. Due to the fact that a very bad review of 2014 showed up, I immediately contacted the hotel not to get a room in a cottage. 

As mentioned on the previous post, we were staying in the luxurious, yet more romantic, Il Salviatino above the majestic city Florence - by the way my favourite place in Italy! After a two hours drive through the Chianti and Maremma regions we finally ended up driving a winding country road from the unspectacular Porto Ercole to the amazingly located Il Pellicano. The iron gates opened and we entered a very different world. A very nice lady greeted us, checked us in and offered a glass of ice tea. After a few minutes, one golf cart finally arrived and brought us to our cottage (Right, I did NOT get a room in the main building!!!). 

The room was really really small for a beach resort and also very dark. The only highlight of our room itself was the very huge garden and the half meters of sea view. Inside the bathroom, the smallest and narrowest I have experienced all summer long (where I mainly stayed at Leading Hotels) there was a shower without any glass door nor a curtain. It might look nice but after using it, the whole floor was under water and the toilet was full of water, too! The bathroom toiletries were quite nice, but remember more like medicine than a fresh summer breeze. Also the wardrobe made a very used impression and did not invite us to put our things inside. I would have wished to find a welcome present like a wine or something like that. 

We really appreciated the fact that all soft drinks and snacks from the minibar were free of charge, they refilled it every day and the products were of high quality and very generously filled. They have excellent lemonades, chips, nuts and chocolate. I also feel that the housekeeping does a good job and they are very correct, towels and amenities have been replaced twice a day. We had also a loggia next to the garden with two chairs and a table as well as two sun beds in the garden. We were really spoilt by the excellent beds of Il Salviatino, so we did not like the pillows and the sheets of Il Pellicano. In my opinion they should offer a pillow menu or duvet sheets!

On the first morning we all got surprised when we wanted to have breakfast. The whole terrace was full and we had to wait 15 minutes. It was no problem at all because they served capuccino and we could have had the possibility to eat inside. Personally, the buffet was of high quality (except the Mozzarella), the omlettes excellent and the service very kind and attentive. 

After breakfast we were ready to discover the resort and its facilities. One highlight was the beach with complimentary refreshments twice a day and excellent cocktails. The sun beds are quite comfortable and the staff was also very helpful. When we experienced that the entrance to the beach costs 95 Euros per Person for non-hotel guests we were quite shoked. If you think that the most famous beach in Europe, the Monte Carlo Beach, charges 100 Euros per Person/Day, then you might know that this hotel is likely to overcharge you.

When the sun was gone, we visited the pool. They have a generously sized salt water pool with breath-taking views of the Mediterranean Sea. They have towel service and lifeguards as well. In addition to these facilities we tried the hairdresser in the Spa. He was very efficient, but again 50 Euros for just 30 minutes is simply overpriced. The gym is on the small side but therefore equiptment is by TechnoGym.

We also had dinner in the PelliGrill Restaurant one day. The experience was very good and the food delicious as it should be for this kind of restaurant. We had a very special wine from Giglio in addition to excellent Octopus Salad and Lemon Risotto. The service could have been a bit more attentive but otherwise this experience was worth its price. When we did not dine in the hotel we got excellent restaurant recommendations by Alessia (She was wonderful and so kind, like the lady who spoke German - sorry for forgetting the name)!

In fact it is a elegant seaside hotel with an elderly aged clientele and high prices but high class service, well maintained rooms and suites as well as a excellent location for everyone seeking for nature and remoteness. Don't expect Porto Ercole to be like Portofino - it is a silent place.

I can rate this hotel with only 7,5 points out of 10 because I find it very rude, not to accept guest requests and furthermore it is inexcusable to offer such a room for a standard rate of 790 Euros per night in high season.

We would like to thank Kiwi Collection (kiwicollection.com) for providing us with such a special price. The Hotel Il Pellicano has not sponsored this review in any way. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

Summer is coming

How was your last summer? Mine was wonderful and unforgettable.

As you can see in my previous blog entries from the last summer, I have made a Road-Trip through the Southest of Italy: Naples, Amalfi, Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, Apulia and back via the Marches - simply breath-taking. This was a trip of a lifetime for me!

The upcoming summer I will go to Southern France, more precisely to the Provence and to Côte d'Azur of course. A to-do-list is already planned but we will see afterwards if my schedule keeps what it promises.

Today I wanted to let you know that I updated the list of the Hotels & Resorts where I stayed and you can now see more hotel reviews on this blog by clicking here. I have added some interesting and luxurious hotels and places, which might be of interest to you.

In addition I have also published a new website of my company with lots of luxury hotels and destinations. I would be delighted to receive your enquiry soon!

blog.travelexecutive.de

Best regards and a wonderful week!

Insider's Getaway

If you ever wondered which part of Italy is unknown to the most of us, then this might be your place to be in summer 2014. Take a look on the following picture and you will immediately think of an exotic destination such as Greece.

In fact, it is a small beautiful island in front of the northern coastline of Sicily in Southern Italy - Lipari. Lipari is the largest island of the Aeolian Archipelago, which consists of eight small islands.

If you are fine with the accommodation offered in Lipari - there are no luxury hotels and resorts - then it's alright.

In addition to Lipari there is also the wonderful and picturesque Island of Vulcano, which is famous for its National Park. 

If you cannot make holidays without staying at a super-luxurious property then you should book a room in the Therasia Resort & Spa on the island of Vulcano. This hotel is by far the most luxurious in the whole area of the Aeolian Islands and I can warmly recommend this unique place on earth. 

They have also a private access to the turquoise sea including lots of sun beds with beach service. I also like the design of the rooms which are 100 per cent authentic with a touch of modern design. 

Rooms start at 275.00 Euros per room and night including the lavish breakfast on the wonderful terrace. Contact us directly, if you would like to book a special offer including dinner and special amenities for 40% off the standard rates.

So why not book your dream vacation immediately? Oh, that's the point - the arrival. If you would like to go to the Aeolian Islands, a long journey awaits you:

First you have to fly to Palermo, Catania or Reggio Calabria, from there you must take the bus or an expensive taxi, which brings you to the harbors of Palermo, Cefalu, Milazzo or the Port of Reggio Calabria. Hydrofoil boats or ferries bring you to Paradise between one-and-a-half hours to two hours. From the small harbor of Vulcano, a complimentary shuttle bus bring you to the Therasia Resort.

Therasia Resort & Spa
Localita Vulcanello, 
Isola di Vulcano 98050
Sicily, Italy
Telephone: +39 0909852555
http://www.therasiaresort.it/

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 7

Just arrived home now after a beautiful 3-week trip through the very South of Italy.

My last stop for this trip were the Marches, a region between Emilia Romagna and Abruzzo, famous for the shoe outlets. I stayed once again at the majestical Villa Lattanzi in Torre di Palme (within 20 minutes driving to Tod's and Prada outlet). The service was perfect again and the room clean, modern with a touch of luxury as well as excellent Etro Relent toiletries. Sea view and a very nice breakfast is always guaranteed! I had also a nice last evening with some italian friends at a very cool place, called Cobá Beach, directly on the beach of Porto San Giorgo, about 5 minutes by car from the Villa.

Before I went to the Marches, I have been in the modern region of Apulia/Puglia, where I checked out the new Borgo Egnazia Resort, famous for the Million-Dollar wedding of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake. 

The resort itself is beatiful and everyone is polite, helpful and friendly. I love the system to be a "Hotel-for-every-kind-of-guest": They have the La Corte area, where they only have double rooms and suites - perfect for couples and on the other hand they have the very nice Borgo area, where I stayed - with the optic of an old italian townhouse. I got a room on the first floor and it therefore had a rooftop terrace with views of the Adriatic sea and the sunrise!

The location is not really good, because the hotel's own golf course devides the hotel from the private rocky beach! That's why they have a shuttle every 20 minutes. They have also a beautiful sandy beach (my favourite place during my stay!), which is about 10 minutes by complimentary shuttle every 20 minutes, too.

If you do not want to eat inside the hotel and you are able to get out of the hotel, then you should book a table at either Osteria del Porto (Excellent dinner 4/5 points) or at Saporedisale, which serves also seafood and really good Pizza - for me 4/5 points, too!

When I left Puglia to go to the Marches, my last stop, I was sure to come back in the near future as the Borgo Egnazia is just the perfect resort for a summer holiday and the temperatures are not very high in Puglia.

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 2

Finally, after two days of sightseeing in Amalfi and Positano, we finally arrived at our last Property on the Amalfi Coast, which is the Capo la Gala Resort near Sorrento. I have to say one thing first: 

This hotel is a "luxe-wannabe" which means it is supposed to be one of the best hotels in Italy (like their website shows!) - in fact it is not! The very exlusive and unique toiletries of Lorenzo Villoresi (which should be in the room, as the website says!) were replaced by 30ml Etro Palais Jamais ones! They do not even have a Hair Conditioner!

Next, as we always got upgraded in all three deluxe hotels where we stayed before, we just got that room we booked, not even a balcony room!

The extra bed is not what I expected for 80 Euros, much more different from which I have experienced during these days and the pool shows up some not nice chemicals on top, as it is no floating pool!

Uuuuh that was my first impression, and as you might now: the first impression counts!! 

Good luck to Capo la Gala to show improvement the next four days!

Have a nice weekend, Daniel!

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 1

It is more than wonderful at the place where I am relaxing now. In fact it is the Costiera Amalfitana, I would say THE most beautiful place in Italy. To be more correct, I am sunbathing at the world famous and often renowned Santa Caterina Property. The Condé Nast Traveller rated this hotel as the 20th best hotel in the Gold List Worldwide, and I can only proof this fact! The staff is wonderful, from the beginning everyone speaks to you by your last name and they know every wish you have. This is just the place to be, I felt never better and I can proudly say that I am as relaxed as at the 1000-Dollar-per-night Reethi Rah Resort in the Maldives. 

I even got a Double-Upgrade to a marvellous Deluxe Room with separate living room and unbelievable sea view and even better views of the town of Amalfi! The breakfast today morning was more than spectacular as the views were. The service is excellent, wherever you look!

They have a complimentary shuttle service to the town of Amalfi every 30 minutes, but it only runs unil 6.30 pm., which is really bad if you want to dine in the town!

Before I arrived at this super-luxe Hideaway in Amalfi, I was staying at the Villa Tolomei in Florence: 2 kilometres outside of Florence! We were also uprgaded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice and everything was completely new! The service there was also good, but not to compare with the Santa Caterina here in Amalfi, these hotels are completely different, although they both have 5-stars. 

Tomorrow I am going to the more picturesque town of Positano, which should be even nicer than Amalfi, but let's see. If you want to top your stay at the Santa Caterina, then you should upgrade yourself to the Le Sirenuse in Positano, where you can really Hide-away! I wanted to try a different hotel, which is called Il Marincanto. I am very exited of the views there and I will be back in two days!