Luxury Travel

Freelance Travel & Lifestyle Writer

"I see an oceanscape turbulent with blues. They mottle the water like smudges, bits of sapphire, jade and rich turquoise splayed out in a frenzy of Van Gogh-like brushstrokes."

~Next Stop Paradise, Austin Monthly

"The city of Lucerne nestles the water--scattering around its edges and up the mountain like a slowly spreading spill."

~Swiss Treat Washington Flyer

"In bygone days hungry wolves skulked along the newly built Nevsky Prospekt like rapacious adversaries from a children's story."

~St. Petersburg: City of Dreams Mariner

"Like a pointer finger, a rainbow as thick as a column, illuminates the sky above Castello di Vicarello."

~Magical Maremma, Toronto Star

"Huts made from cow pies look like gingerbread houses—some are being repaired by women so concentrated in their tasks they resemble painters fretting over a canvas."

~India in Style Virtuoso Traveler

"A sudden herd of reindeer crosses our path like a truck running a red light."

~ Chasing The Northern Lights in Norway, Dallas Morning News

"The ancient city’s main square sits just behind the one-time convent (now a sleek, restored, boutique hotel), the silence is so ponderous one might think the entire staff and every guest has taken a vow of silence."

~Cognition and Reflection - Organic Spa Magazine

"The crowd cheers. And, a royal band emits a euphonious serenade. I dismount the immense beast by ladder, snuggle my elephant’s crusty, swishing trunk and accept a well-deserved flute of champagne from a nattily clad waiter."

~Yoga Overlooking the Taj Mahal - San Antonio Magazine

About Hotel Guanahnai: “[Its} as if Paris put on flip flops, but still donned a little black dress.”

~As quoted in Cigar Aficionado

"We follow a path abundant with draped, fading prayer flags that flap in the cool wind like colorful bird's wings. Pine trees scent the chilly air, and the faraway rhythm of rural villagers at work sounds like nature's solemn hymn."

~Taking the richer road less traveled in China Austin American Statesman

"Villages with colorfully painted houses seemed torn from the pages of a storybook. You’ll want to linger in them, as we do, for scones or a pint of beer. Even the narrow undulating roads, lined with hedgerows and flower-flecked meadows thrills."

~Irish Indulgence, The Ring of Kerry -- CAA Magazine - Canadian Automobile Association

"Being with him in the the room where he paints . . . is like being a string on Itzhak Perlman's violin or a pot in Thomas Keller's kitchen."

~Beyond The Tango, Toronto Star

"We’ve exchanged our car for a boat and we’re heading across rollicking seas to Skellig Michael—an immense rocket of stone that explodes amid water straight toward the sky. Just visible on its face are steps that we know lead to the remains of a centuries-old monastic settlement high above the ocean."

~Irish Indulgence, The Ring of Kerry -- CAA Magazine - Canadian Automobile Association

"Brussels is as textured as the tapestries that put it on the Medieval map."

~Brussels Sprouts Anew, National Geographic Traveler

"While I wait for the bartender at Dukes I ponder the big question: would I rather be Miss Moneypenny or a Bond girl? It's easy to meditate on such things at Duke's Hotel."

~Bar Bash Washington Flyer

New York, New York

March 8, 2015 by becca

Stay: Park Hyatt, New York Eat: The Back Room at One57 Spa: Spa Nalal Eat: The State Grill Do: The Gotham West Market Do: Le District Market

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: hotels, Luxury Travel, Manhattan, New York

Get the to an Island: Craft your own fairytale at these tropical hideaways

February 15, 2015 by becca

Published in Destinations of the World News February, 2015 Online Version

Filed Under: Featured Articles Tagged With: beaches, islands, Luxury Travel, resort, romance

Into the Wild: South Africa’s Kruger National Park

February 14, 2015 by becca

Published in The Oberoi Magazine Spring, 2015

Filed Under: Featured Articles Tagged With: adventure, Africa, Luxury Travel, safari, South Africa

St. Moritz, Switzerland

February 3, 2015 by becca

Stay: The Carlton Hotel St. Moritz Eat: Restaurant Romanoff Eat: Da Vittorio Spa: Carlton Spa Do: Ski and hike

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: hotels, Luxury Travel, skiing, St. Moritz, Switzerland

Arosa, Switzerland

February 1, 2015 by becca

Stay: Tschuggen Grand Hotel Eat: La Vetta Eat: Bündnerstube Spa: Tschuggen Bergoase by Mario Botta Do: Ski and hike through snow-covered forests

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: hotels, Luxury Travel, skiing, Switzerland

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

January 25, 2015 by becca

Stay: JW Marriott Marquis Spa: Talise Spa Burg Al Arab Jumeirah Do: Explore the Desert with Arabian Adventures

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: adventure, desert, Dubai, Luxury Travel, United Arab Emirates

Island Affair: Recharge your relationship with the many waves of Hawaiian romance

January 22, 2015 by becca

Published in San Antonio Magazine February, 2015

Filed Under: Featured Articles Tagged With: beaches, Hawaii, islands, Luxury Travel, romance

Hobbit Habitat: Explore New Zealand

January 17, 2015 by becca

Published in Austin Monthly February, 2015

Filed Under: Featured Articles Tagged With: adventure, farm, Luxury Travel, New Zealand

Bachelor Gulch, Colorado

January 13, 2015 by becca

Stay: The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Drink or Eat: Buffalos (ask for bartender Garret and try his hand-crafted cocktails (think pumpkin and spice infused spirits) Apres Ski: Have a gourmet spa around the fire pit or a Green Bloody Mary from the pop up, outdoor bar at 3:30 Rooms: Indulge in a penthouse suite with mountain […]

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: adventure, Colorado, Luxury Travel, skiing

Beaver Creek, Colorado

January 11, 2015 by becca

Stay: The Osprey Eat: Beano’s Cabin Eat: SaddleRidge Spa: Allegria Spa Do: Ski Beaver Creek Resort’s 1,832 skiable acres beneath 300 days of perfect sunshine