Trip Styler's Best Stays + Sips of 2013

[trip style = any]

Every year I sleep in hotels of all designs, shapes and sizes. Many delight, some throw curveballs and a few are downright disappointments {aka. the naughty list}. This year I took it upon myself to chronicle the standouts in categories ranging from architecture to amenities and service to spa treatments, plus a few dining hits that shouldn't be missed. Here are the winners.

Best Overall Encuentro Guadalupe, Mexico - Twenty rectangular lofts sit staggered between desert brush and boulders on a steep hill overlooking grapevines in Mexico’s wine country. Inside each minimalist muse is a blank slate bathed in white—white paneling, white tiles, white duvet—and lit by Edison-style bulbs. Wooden furniture completes the space and makes an appearance on the pod’s front porch around a clay, wood-burning fireplace.

Best Design Encuentro Guadalupe, Mexico - See above. Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - The scale, stature and sizzle of this 405-room resort sends you into a Nirvana-like state with every glance. The Standard, Miami Beach - While I can't recommend you stay at The Standard Miami---the service is on-again, off-again---you should take a peek at its gorgeous, vintage design. Templar Hotel, Toronto - A subdued and stunning collection of villas in Toronto's fashion district. Hotel de Glace, Quebec City - The most awe-inspiring ice palace I've ever seen. I wanted to kiss the walls!

Best Service Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay, Lanai - Every single staff member stopped in their tracks to speak with me and ensure my stay was comfortable. Four Seasons Resort, Whistler - Their attention to detail was so perfect, the staff went beyond anticipating my needs and became BFFs with my dog.

Most Pleasantly Surprising Stay Vive Hotel Waikiki, Oahu - Opened in summer 2013, the Vive has the friendliest staff---Trip Styler Sis hurt her knee and they asked her multiple times if she needed ice---and great Honolulu 2.0 touches like included breakfast and free WiFi. A great option for a budget-boutique stay two blocks from the beach. The Pearl Hotel, San Diego - The Pearl's Jet Age charm extends to their staff, who were the cheeriest group of gals I've ever encountered!

Most Exquisite Stay Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - Discreet and decadent, serene and spacious, the Mandarin is without a doubt one of my top 20 stays of all time.

Best Hotel Bed The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino - Straddling the 49th Parallel and the divide between a centuries-old coastal rainforest and the open ocean, this Travel+Leisure hall of famer—the only one of its kind in Canada—delivers low-key luxury on a gold-plated, Douglas fir platter. I'm quite certain I'll see the Wick Inn's dreamy beds in heaven.

Best Hotel Bathroom Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - Clad in light grey marble, the vanity is decorated with a pounded copper sink and lit by twinkly Moroccan lights. Two steps lead up to the bathtub and into another world. Big enough to bathe a baby elephant, the bath area is a room unto itself topped with a golden dome. I even considered sleeping in the tub one evening! NOBU Hotel, Las Vegas - The bathroom had me at its tall, white sink, big enough to fit a three-year-old, yet it was the four-quadrant design separating the sink, toilet, shower and vanity with sleek wooden slats that made me want to sing an ode to NOBU in the shower.

Best Hotel Shower Lava Lava Beach Club, Hawaii {Big Island} - Every cottage comes with a private, lava-encased outdoor shower spouting water from a bamboo shoot.

Best Hotel Pool Treats Parker Palm Springs, Palm Springs - Boozy cocktails, bunches of berries and hot chocolate are just a few of the treats delivered to your pool-side lounger. Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay, Lanai - Where else does Dr. Shades pop by to clean your sunglasses while you snack on complimentary canapes like prosciutto-wrapped beet?

Coolest Hotel Amenity NOBU Hotel, Las Vegas - Forget standard slippers, NOBU offers guests fluffy flip flops. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - Rooms are adorned in fresh-cut flowers. The Ampersand Hotel, London - Where raiding the minibar stacked with sparkling water, juice and cookies is free---and encouraged. Parker Palm Springs, Palm Springs - If you request a wake-up call, it comes along with a silver carafe of coffee served in gold-rimmed cups.

Best Upcycling Program Caesars Palace properties in Las Vegas sanitize all left-behind guest soaps, melt them into new molds and deliver them to families in need around the globe.

Best Spa Treatment Turkish Hammam at the Talise Ottoman Spa at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - The treatment started with a full-court press scrubbing and cleansing splashes of water. As my Turkish towel-clad attendant ran a soapy bubble bundle from my feet to my shoulders, I felt like I was floating, weightless, on top of the clouds. Ali'i Experience at the Spa Without Walls at the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii {Big Island} - My treatment started with a lomilomi hot stone massage in a beachfront cabana and ended with warm coconut oil slowly trickling down my head. It felt so Hawaiian it was as if I was dancing the hula at Mauna Kea’s summit. West Coast Lifestyle Package at CHI Spa at the Shangri-La, Vancouver - With cashmere robes and sheets so luxurious you want to rip them off the bed and wear them as a scarf and spa suites sporting infinity soaker tubs with embedded light therapy, the four-hour West Coast Lifestyles package starts with a private yoga class {so Vancouver!} and is followed by a sea kelp soak, a body wrap with mud flown in from China and a seaweed facial {or massage}.

Best Restaurant Luce, Portland - Simple, cool, fresh and perfectly Portland.

Best Beverage South Shore {rum bar} at The James Royal Palms, Miami - I'm not the hugest fan of rum, but the Hispanola with three lemon wedges, egg white, mint, sugar and a dash of bartender love rocked my cocktail world.

Best Dessert France Pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando - The chocolate macaron, ice cream edition {find it in the ice cream shop}. Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler - A dessert-meets-magic show, where cream and liquid nitrogen mingle to form their famous Nitro Ice Cream.

Best Coffee Shop Barista Parlor, Nashville - An industrial-design coffee shop, where the java is brewed in a lab {before your eyes} and breakfast is served with handkerchief napkins.

[photo by @tripstyler at encuentro guadalupe]

It's a Wrap

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban]

Every Christmas season Seattle decks their halls with twinkly lights, iconic "red cup" bevvies and holiday cheer. Not so coincidentally, every year I take my sleigh down to the Emerald City to immerse myself in its red- and green-themed spirit, and play Santa during a hot chocolate-fueled shop-a-thon.

This year I was asked by the W Seattle's elves to experience their just-released It's a Wrap Holiday Package. On during weekends until January 12th, the package includes all the fixings for a festive getaway, including: - a Fabulous Corner King room - valet parking {$40 savings per night} - complimentary gift wrapping for three gifts {Saturdays} - a Saturday "Wrappy Hour" at TRACE Bar, seasoned with holiday treats like a snickerdoodle cocktail paired with gingerbread snowflake cookies, and the live sounds of a Grammy award-winning nouveau jazz artist - a $50 gift card from a major credit card company and a $50 gift certificate to University Village---think: Aritzia, Madewell, Mercer, Jonathan Adler, Anthropologie, J.Crew, etc. {per stay} - a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter shuttle to and from University Village {Saturdays} - WiFi <<<< Find FULL It's a Wrap Holiday Package details here >>>>

In my job, I'm lucky enough to spot a world of travel offers, and the reason I'm telling you about this one is because it's festive, fun and cha-ching it offers a good perks {plus the guestrooms have Bliss Spa products and the W's beds are uber-comfy}. As a HUGE fan of experience-based gifts, this is a getaway I'd want to receive under the tree this season.

Trip Styler Tip: At the time of writing, all weekends offered during this package are available. Rates start at $200/night and there's a two-night minimum.

Here's a short video of my Wrappy weekend.

{Can't view this video?}

[photos and video by trip styler taken while as a guest of starwood hotels; view my strict editorial parameters here]

Leaving Las Vegas {Healthier Than I Arrived}

healthy las vegas

[trip style = active + weekend getaway + urban + sun]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to our friends down South! Here at the Vancouver, Canada-based TS headquarters, we toast your fine-feathered cocktail of turkey, beer and football. Enjoy!

When Lady Luck started shaking her sequins and stomping---in stilettos no less---down the Las Vegas Strip, she wasn't thinking about burning calories or reaching 10,000 steps a day. Ye-Old-Days Lady Luck was too busy sipping scotch on the rocks and sucking back cigarettes. Flash forward to today, and modern Lady Luck still chinwags with the same crowd, yet in her time-refined wisdom, she's picked up a healthy trick or two RUNning the Strip.

Like Lady Luck, I've learned a thing or two on the road, and am pretty protective about maintaining my wellness while I wander. With health on my mind, on my recent trip to Vegas, I was surprised to leave healthier than when I arrived. While most people don't travel to Sin City to sip smoothies, eat spinach salads and workout more than they go out, I made it my mission to test wellness on the Strip without sacrificing a smashing cocktail or Michelin-starred cuisine.

Here's how to stay well while under the LV spell:

run the LV strip

1/ Run the Strip Jogging the LV Strip is a thing. Rise and shine early enough in the AM---from 6am to 8am---and you'll see a ton of fit cats chasing last night's calories down LV Blvd. Bonus: most of the hotels blast music, so no is iPod required.

spa in las vegas + detox

2/ Detox at the Spa I've had TREATments at most of the major sp-ahs lining the Neon City's most glitzy stretch. Recently, I re-familiarized myself with these cocoons of calm and wrote about a private Turkish Hammam and other must-soothe experiences in Las Vegas Spa Hopping for the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog.

yoga among dophins las vegas

3/ Yoga among the Dolphins There's yoga, and then there's yoga practiced between a circular viewing area below Vegas' only dolphin habitat. The second you arrive nature's miracle mammals perk up and come to greet you like kids waiting for their parents at the airport. Dolphins dig yoga, so there's a parallel play synergy that takes place as I sink into warrior pose while the pod floats by. Classes are offered Fri - Sun mornings and cost $50 {which also includes a post-yoga smoothie and day access to the Mirage's spa pools and heat havens}.

las vegas MO hotel

4/ Hotel Most travelers I talk to aren't aware that Vegas has a few non-gaming hotels. Translation: no slots in sight! My favorite of the few is the Mandarin Oriental. See my review in Trip Styler's latest Roam+Board hotel feature.

bacchanal buffet caesars

5/ Eat well In the past five years, Vegas has turned into a foodie destination worthy of the 50+ world-renowned chefs whose restaurants season the Strip. Case in point, while I was there, I sipped cognac three feet away from Guy Savoy at his namesake restaurant. One of the newest eateries you "knead" to know about is Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. Before you write us off for even mentioning a buffet, think of it like more like a collection of nine restaurants manned by chefs who've all worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. Yes there are stations, yes there are 600 seats, but it also boasts a hearty list of awards to back up its baking and made-to-order dishes.

Trip Styler Tip: While I'm not a huge Starbucks fan, if you want to eat a healthy snack on the go, Seattle's coffee institution can be found around every corner offering a bevy of fresh-prepared and reasonably priced snacks mingling fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts.

[photos by @tripstyler]

Carry-on Creature Comforts

[trip style = any]

While flying the skies at 40,000 feet---from where I pen this---I'm reminded of a few simple things that can change your personal flight path from turbulent to terrific. I call these travel creature comforts, and I cart them whether I'm flying in econo or biz class. While lie-flat seats and first class pods do come with extra travel doodads like moisturizing eye masks {thanks JAL}, seats-slash-massage chairs {thanks Emirates} or down comforters {thanks Virgin Atlantic}, nothing can replace---not even a flute of Dom---the things you love and need. Here's what I swear by in the sky!

Trip Styler Tip :: Always keep a carry-on comfort kit packed so it's ready to go when you're frazzled with last-minute trip prep!

1/ Non-scented hand cream I coat my hands and arms pre- and mid-flight and dab a touch beside my eyes when my skin starts to feel crunchy and dry. Ultra-moisturizing, high-quality hand cream can mean the difference between sapped and supple inflight skin {read: plane soap and cabin air are uber-drying}. Trip Styler loves: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment {$15}

2/ Earplugs or noise-cancelling earbuds For those times when you just want to doze off or drown out the noise around you... I can't tell you how often I slip in my earplugs or buds; they're often the make-or-break item between a peaceful and frenzied flight. Trip Styler loves: 3M Foam Earplugs {$1}

3/ Scarf or shawl Airplanes' heating and cooling systems often operate in extremes: frigid or hot. Personally, I get cold on every single flight---it's like the Arctic up there. Instead of schlepping a down parka on the plane, I bring one or two pashminas or shawls, which double as blankets, hats or neck warmers to keep my temperature regulated. Trip Styler loves: Nordstrom Cashmere-Blend Wrap {$80}. Note: I also suggest traveling with a cheaper wrap---one you can throw around and not fret if it gets snagged or dirty.

4/ Water bottle I was just on a four-hour flight and was offered a glass of water ONCE. Dearest airlines: we're people, not camels! To ensure I have enough H2O, I always bring a collapsible water bottle to rehydrate inflight. Once I drink it dry, it takes up zero space in my bag. Trip Styler loves: Vapur Travel Anti-Bottle {$10}

5/ Toothbrush Whether you have cat-tongue from not drinking or eating for a few hours, or just noshed a plate of mystery airplane food, brushing your teeth before landing is the 40,000-ft equivalent of a shower. Trip Styler loves: Colgate Wisp Mini-Brush with Freshening Bead {$5 for 16}

6/ Mints It helps to follow up the aforementioned toothbrush with a mint for long-lasting fresh breath. Trip Styler loves: Altoids Curiously Strong Mints, Cinnamon - Pack of 12 {$20}

7/ Sox 'n' slippers For any flight over four hours, I bring socks and washable slippers to keep my feet warm. Don't go to the lavatory barefoot or only wearing socks -- slippers or shoes are a must! Trip Styler loves: Hotel slippers---wash after use and air dry! {free}

8/ Eye drops To keep my peepers full of pep, I throw in eye drops at the flight's end to combat the dry and red-rimmed effects of flying. Trip Styler loves: Visine Maximum Redness Relief {$6.60}

9/ Eye brightener My makeup artist friend told me I had to get a MAC nude eye pencil to rim the inside of my eyes -- the waterline -- so I look human {vs alien} after a long flight or jet lag. Trip Styler loves: MAC Chromagraphic {Nude} Pencil in NW20 {$29}

Honorable Mentions Hand sanitizer, eye mask or sunglasses, dry shampoo

/\/\/\/\/\ What are your inflight musts? /\/\/\/\/\

[graphic by @tripstyler; photos sourced online]

Roam+Board :: Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

[trip style = luxury + spa + sun]

{Editor's Note :: I was first introduced to the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas a year ago when I did my spa marathon along the Strip. At the time, I was with a group of international journalists and we unanimously agreed the Mandarin's aesthetic and discreet decadence was so heavenly, we would each return. So, I did last week.}

What
At the risk of going all-in in my opening remarks; the Mandarin Oriental is my version of a Las Vegas jackpot. It's boutique, it's gorgeous, it's calm and it's non-gaming, summoning the traveler who visits Vegas for style over slots.

In a departure from all things glittery, the 392-room resort—small for Vegas' usual brand of 4,000-6,000-room hotels—sits quietly and confidently in a sea of sequins. Check-in doesn't follow the crowd either. Upon arrival, I'm met by a smartly suited gent in the uniform equivalent of tails, who escorts me to an elevator made for photo shoots. Clad in black marble, gold accents and a plush red velvet bench, I sit {because I can} and enjoy the short ride to the glass-encased Sky Lobby, perched high above Las Vegas Blvd on the 23rd floor.

Rooms are decorated in the same Five Diamond detail as the hotel. A touchscreen panel controls every moving part, a valet closet means a hotel attendant can drop anything off without disturbing you, there's a TV embedded in the bathroom mirror, and my personal favorite: The towels are thicker than a wooly blanket. Yet, nothing impressed me more than this rarity: Each room is accented with fresh flowers.

Outside, the 8th-floor sundeck continues the Far East tranquility theme. Unlike many a Vegas pool sporting a dawn-till-dusk scene, spa sounds woo loungers into sun-soaked relaxation, and two lengthy lap pools guilt me into swimming a few lengths before heading out on the town. Trip Styler approved.

Where
Las Vegas, Nevada, about 15 minutes from the McCarran International Airport {LAS} by car/taxi, or a four-hour drive from LA.

When
The sun shines on the Neon City year-round; rain is rare. Vegas is hottest in summer {40-45 degrees C} and coolest in winter {17-24 degrees C}, while spring and fall are most palatable for those accustomed to four-season climates.

Who/Why
You're a luxury travel enthusiast who craves a high roller slice of Vegas—famed restaurants, world-class shows, non-stop shopping—without the dice.

Cost
Rates start at $225/night in low season, plus a daily $28 resort fee {note: this fee is standard at most hotels dotting the Strip}. Rates include WiFi, complimentary coffee from 6-8am, a salon-grade hair straightener in the room, bottled water by the pool, gym access, yoga and Pilates classes, and a Mercedes-Benz S550 drop-off service within two miles of the hotel {airport drop-offs based on availability}.

Trip Styler Tip :: Don't miss the spa's Tian Quan Thermal Experience, an all-day escape combining personal experience showers, a vitality pool, heated lounges, an ice fountain, an aromatherapy steam room, and unlike any other spa in Vegas, a view overlooking the entire Strip. {$50 m - th / $60 f - sa / $80 for non-hotel guests}

Walking past the Sky Lobby's feature wall

Room

Room detail

Bathroom

Fresh flowers

The first welcome at the Mandarin Oriental Spa: Warm oshibori towels and peppermint tea

Spa's heated-from-within tepidarium chairs

Pool

More Roam+Board
Hotel Lone - Croatia
Templar Hotel - Toronto
Encuentro Guadalupe - Mexico
The Ampersand Hotel - London
The Wickaninnish Inn - Tofino
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai

[photos by @tripstyler taken while as a guest of the hotel]