Beat the Winter Blues While Saving Green with a Florida Vacation

Popular Floridia Vacation Spot St Augustine FL

Are you tired of seeing more clouds than sunshine and are dreaming of a Florida vacation?  Is your vitamin D level dropping to dangerously low levels?  Would you like to leave the heavy coat, gloves and scarves in the closet for a few days and trade them out for your favorite pair of shorts and sandals?

If you live somewhere where winter really means ice, cold, snow and depressing weather, it is probably about time for a change of scenery:  one that involves, sun, sand, water and the sounds of happy feet splashing in the surf.  Of course since the winter season also empties wallets and purses with all of the holiday cheer that also translates into gifts, parties and other assorted extravagances, you may not want to stretch yourself any further than necessary to make your escape as painless as possible. That is where a Florida vacation can come to the rescue.

There is so much diversity in Florida and so many excellent vacation options that you can find without too much effort that a perfect getaway can be planned for just about any budget you have.  You can find old school resorts right on the beach and even hostels where the cost of escape is probably cheaper than staying at home.

However, one option may offer the best balance of finding comfort on a budget – a bed and breakfast inn. There are all sorts of options available for every budget and thousands of bed and breakfast accommodations in all price ranges in Florida.  One of the great things about a bed and breakfast is that it gives you a home like atmosphere which really helps remove the stress and alienation of staying in a strange place.  Another advantage that many bed and breakfasts offer is that many rooms are set up more like a suite than a traditional motel or hotel room.

Typically, bed and breakfast inns offer public areas to lounge in along with the room you are paying for. There might be a library, garden or patio or pool area where you can kick back in an intimate setting without the hustle and bustle of crowded hotels and motels.  Many rooms will have some type of food preparation area with a microwave and may also have a sink and refrigerator.

Of course, you pay for less dining out at a bed and breakfast since your morning meal is covered in the cost of your stay.  If you find the right accommodation you can literally have all of your meals either in your room or in the dining area set up for guests.

Another advantage of many bed and breakfast inns is that they tend to be located close in to towns and attractions.  For example, the Bayfront Westcott House in St. Augustine, Florida is located across from a bay and is only a few walking distance blocks from the historic city center where you can find enough to do to keep you entertained for your entire vacation without once driving your car or paying for a taxi.

This year when you have had enough of the winter doldrums and are running low on your “fun funds”, consider putting away your winter blues and heavy clothes and treat yourself to a Florida vacation maybe even consider elopeing, Vows renewal  or Wedding in St Augustine.

Luxury Bed and Breakfast Inns – An Intimate and Personal Experience

When you think of bed and breakfast inns, do you experience a disconnect between the terms “luxury” and “bed and breakfast inns”?  Do you tend to associate granny rockers more with this type of establishment than say a Shiatsu massage chair?  When you hear the term “wireless” used in the same sentence as “bed and breakfast inn” do you suspect it may mean they have no electricity?  In fact, if you have the impression that the term bed and breakfast refers mainly to dusty antique stuffed rooms with walls covered of aging wallpaper, you might be surprised to learn that there has been a quiet movement under way to combine the home spun ambiance of a traditional bed and breakfast inn with 5 star luxury amenities.

Depending upon your definition of luxury, you will find bed and breakfast accommodations that range from vintage charm to modern chic that now fit nicely into the luxury classification. Here are some examples of what luxury can mean when paired with the bed and breakfast inn concept.

Bayfront Westcott House, St. Augustine, FL– Falling under the charm and vintage category of luxury class  bed and breakfast accommodations, this 1880’s era structure fits into the more traditional idea of what a bed and breakfast is all about.  The Bayfront Westcott House is the definition of Victorian refinement wrapped around modern conveniences.  The rooms possess the romantic trappings of a bygone era.  In true bed and breakfast style, you can relish your daily signature hot entrée each morning in the dining room, porch or garden terrace or have it delivered to your room for a leisurely breakfast in bed experience.

The Lodge at Sedona, Sedona, AZ – If the Arts and Crafts style of architecture is more to your liking, then The Lodge at Sedona may be more to your style.  Here you will find an atmosphere tuned into the more spiritual side of the Sedona experience including a meditative labyrinth adjoining the lodge.

This award winning bed and breakfast inn occupies two acres of gardens encompassing waterfalls, original art and stunning rock formations.  Artistic meals are prepared for guests who can also rejuvenate physically in the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, whirlpool or in the onsite workout room.

Candlelight Inn , Napa Valley, CA – If your idea of luxury includes a  gourmet three course breakfast, stunning redwoods, vineyards and an emphasis on fine wines, the Candlelight Inn in Napa Valley may be just what you are looking for.  Housed in an English Tudor style structure, this bed and breakfast is geared toward epicurean tastes and interests within a beautiful natural setting.

Cloran Mansion, Galena, IL – If you have always wanted to stay in an Italianate Victorian Mansion circa 1880s in a picturesque Midwestern city, then the Cloran Mansion is the place for you.  This impeccably maintained bed and breakfast inn typifies turn of the century luxury and staying there is very much like turning back the clock to an era of refined elegance as expressed in a prosperous late 19th century American village.

The Cloran Mansion is situated on 1 and ½ beautiful acres of manicured lawn and gardens.  Although breakfast won’t be served by the butler, it is very easy to imagine that it would have been in days gone by as you enjoy the generous daily country style breakfast before venturing off to explore historic Galena just 8 blocks away.

There are many types and styles of luxury accommodations to pamper and spoil discriminating travelers, but none provide a more intimate and personal experience than a luxury bed and breakfast inn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y7AkQ  Many people think that promotions for a accommodation needs to be expensive and time consuming, which it does not. One of the things that people like to see is creativity and one of the funnest projects that you can do for your hotel or boutique accommodation is a you tube video. You will be amazed at how much traffic it can bring to your website and then to your property.

A couple of key points on the you tube portion is too include your URL in the description of the video, this can generate instant clicks to your website and if your keywords are included in your URL you will also get some extra link love as well.

One of the things that most people are unaware of is when you are putting the tags in in You Tube you want to ” keywords phrase” you want your key put together in quotations with you tube then they see them as that keyword. For this particular video they might have used “St Augustine B&B ” or “Fl Holidays in St Augustine”

If you are looking for a unique experience when you go to a new place you should consider a Bed and Breakfast as a alternative to hotels.  You would be surprised how inexpensive and what great values they can be. B & B’s  tend to be smaller facilities so the service is often times better and as they are built in cool old houses many times they just have a lot more color than you will find in a budget accommodation.

One of our favorite things about the B&B experience is the food.  besides breakfast they often times will have wine and cheese parties in the afternoons and often times will have fantastic dinners again at affordable prices as they need to compete with local restaurants. For affordable hotels the food is often bland and the presentations uninspired.

The other part of the exprience is that bed & breakfasts are located in areas where there is alot to do and explore a great example of this would be St Augustine florida where there are a bunch of great Saint Augustine B&B Casa De Solana which combines everything that we like great food awsome architecture and scrumsous food servered with pride in the fantastic dinning room or weather permitting in the garden patio outside.

Let’s face it, with the continuous economic down turn that affects everyone, a luxurious vacation treat even just for one is already out of the picture. Gone are the days when it’s just so easy to pack your bags, point your finger at the map, rev your car, and chill with a nice glass of classic wine just outside of your equally nice and luxurious hotel accommodation. But for some, the dream lives on. It’s just a matter of careful research and planning. Look up at boutique hotels like the ones in St. Augustine in Florida. Thank God for boutique hotels like the Bayfront Westcott House, you can still remain chic and pampered without burning your pocket. And,forget about driving your car. specially if you’re like me who thinks  maps came from outer space. I don’t know about you, but I don’t wanna get lost. And I don’t wanna spend on a cramped and expensive taxi service either. After researching on this matter, I found out that a lot of  the shuttle services are cheaper. Airport shuttle services like Snowmass Airport Shuttle (if your destination is Colorado) are not just chic, but also offer very reasonable rates. You can even choose from small cars, to crossovers, to SUV. Boutique hotels and airport shuttle services are all over. It’s not that hard to look around for them.

For more on Bayfront Westcott Hotel, read: http://www.westcotthouse.com/rooms.html

For more on Snowmass Airport Shuttle Service, read: http://www.aspen-snowmass-limo.com/HTM/Snowmass%20Airport%20Shuttles.html

Enjoy your break! You deserve it!

aspen bike trails

We are becoming big fans of condos as a better way than Luxury hotels as you get the feeling of being at home rather than in a little box, Aspen has many of these high end units that you can rent by the week and some of them are out of this world.  Many of these luxury Aspen condos are owned by real people, as such they set them up in ways that are attractive to them and the personal touch shows, but at the same time as they are built to be rentals as well so many of the owners bring in  professional designers so that most people would be comfortable with them.

The location of these properties is ussually not right in the Aspen Core but on the fringe as such they are very quiet and very convienent to go ski or hike and bike the local trails.

One of our favorites is the Chateau Roaring Fork and Chateau Eu Claire which are on the east side of Aspen on Cooper street which is the road that City Market is on if you are not real familiar with Aspen( that is actually Hy 82 and in the summer that is open and one of the most spectacular rides in the world But back on subject)  the condos all have the living rooms and most of the bed rooms facing the stream that runs behind it so you get this changing landscape with the seasons with all of the little and big critters that make Aspen and Colorado such a treat in the summer time. 

These are 2 and3 bedroom units very family or group friendly. They are walking distance to most everything in Aspen and hey if you want to go over toJimmys for a steak Snow limo can always give your group a ride and then you can drink as much as like as well a nice benefit and not have to hassle and rent a car.  

The condos all have a different feel and differnet subtle ammentyies lists but again they are set up with folks comming in and really living in them so there are places to put the bikes and places to put the skies and real easy to get comfortable in Many a time I hear the people say when they are leaving these units that they will be back and that they will be back as soon as they can the one thing I never hear is them saying that they did not get good value from these 5 star accommodations in Aspen.

W Resort Chengdu Bali

In the last couple of days here in Bali I have had the pleasure of visiting several of the Bali Resorts that make this tropical getaway so unforgettable. One that stands out is the “W” hotel.

In Chengdu there are now several outstanding beach resort properties including the luxury boutique Hotel W.  This chain continues to astound even jaded guests with the service levels and atmosphere that they are creating with all of their one of a kind properties.

They have a suite there that is out of this world with a list of amenities that you dream beach house with have including a private kitchen and a super sexy outside water bed as these WOW units are on the top floors The unit itself is bi level you have privacy and outstanding views!

One of the things that we like to see in any Postcard Hotel is a water feature and the steam room fits that requirement nicely.

• Sunset-Facing Ocean Views
• Full Kitchen
• Two Bedrooms with Ocean Views
• Master Bedroom with Catwalk
• Bi-Level Suite
• 55″ LED TV
• Dining Room for Eight

• Two Additional Bathrooms
• Steam Room with Shower and Skylight
• Master Bathroom with Terrazzo Bathtub
• Optional Whatever/Whenever® Valet Service
• Large Balcony with Outdoor Waterbed and Spa Massage Beds
• Living Room and Entertaining Space

W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak

I am sitting at the Bali beach and I am thinking about some of the other beach resorts that I have been at and enjoyed as much and I kept going back to the time that I spent in Nha Trang Vietnam.

Wasn’t the best weather, so bad in fact that I could not go diving as there was a typhoon in the area that had the ocean so chopped up and agitated that it was too dangerous to go out. I had the best time just cruising around and there were very few people there. One of the highlights of that holiday vacation was the coffee shop that was across the street from of the only Nha Trang hotel that was like a little art gallery with statues, paintings, furniture and Great Coffee , Vietnam does not get enough credit for and lucky for those that get to go there as the hi grade pea berry is still very affordable to buy and surprise your friends and neighbors with travel gifts of this fantastic brew.

The  Ana Madera I believe it was called was this fantastic beach resort that had all sorts of space and nobody there if you were looking for a romantic place this had to be one of the best in Asia.  They had the beds with the beautiful white mossy nets; they did not need the mossy nets as the rooms were air con but the visual effect.  They also have the bathrooms so that they were indoor outdoor up to you with a very cool shower that seemed like you were showering in a tropical waterfall, very romantic!

With a couple of restaurants on the water they also had it so that you could dine by candle light on the pier that went out over the water.  You could do a lot worse than this very affordable luxury beach resort. 

Do you have a favorite luxury beach resort that you would like other to know about welcome guest bloggers, all you need to do is just make a comment on a post, include your email address and say that you want to be a guest blogger and we will be happy to let you promote your favorite hotels and Boutique accommodations!  Don’t forget to include the contact information for the accommodations including there reservations email and website and phone numbers so others can find them as well. We gratefully accept from all parts of the world and welcome one and all to share in our love of Postcard-hotels.

5 star Bali Hyatt Sanur Beach

If there is a hotel beach resort in Bali that would be a great canidate for Postcard-Hotels.com best of the best award this would be a major contender.  The physical beauty of the resort hotel is astonshing with rich and vibrant jungle held in check with artistry. sitting on the ocean with great postcard panarama views in all directions.

We love grand hotels that have history and the 5 star Bali Hyatt certainly has that in the great furiture pieces in the lobby. We also like the spaciousness and open air designs that are a Bali hallmark.

With 5 restaurants and lots of boutique shops everything in this luxury hotel is quality, including the well prepared staff that anticipates what your needs are and then fulfills them.

In places like Bali Villas can be a great way to get a 5 star treatment for a lot less than you would pay for a 6 star hotel amenities like private pool or private chef sound far fetched but they are easy to find in Bali.

beautiful sunrise at bali Villa Emma in Seminyak

Most Villas in Bali have 3 or more bedrooms and most of the rooms would be ensuite so if you can travel as a family or get a group together of like minded fellows you can live like the rich and famous on money that would only get you as individuals 3 or 4 star hotels.

Imagine how much you would save if you ate in on vacation with a group of 6? Easy $100 usd a night for fancy places like beachfront seafood restaurants.