5 Swell Surf Lodges

[trip style = beach + sun + active + steal]

We can't even contemplate summer right now without the tide of our minds lapping up against surf lodges. We dream of them constantly, in all their sand dollar-hued paint, starfish-print decor and sporty glory.

If, like us, you're seeking some summertime design inspiration or thinking of planning a surfari in the next year, here are five surf lodges worth cruisin' on into. 

The Surf Lodge 
Where: Montauk, NY {USA}
Deets: Around since 1967 and hanging 10 at the edge of Long Island, The Surf Lodge is a wellness retreat steeped in Montauk's upscale-boho charms. Visit this gem if you appreciate good design, good surf and driftwood towel racks. 

Ocean Village
Where: Tofino, British Columbia {Canada}
Deets: Nudged up against MacKenzie Beach, one of Canada's most popular surf spots, the woodsy collection of basic beehive-style cabins at Ocean Village face the ocean for ultimate wave spotting. Bonus: you're so "one" with the water, you can catch a swell before breakfast. 

The Harmony Hotel
Where: Nosara {Costa Rica}
Deets: Envisioned by two surf enthusiasts who visited and rode Playa Guiones year-round waves, The Harmony Hotel is an eco-lodge inspired by the tropical destinations of yesteryear for people who appreciate low-key glam and complete escape. 

Hotel Escondido 
Where: Puerto Escondido {Mexico}
Deets: With laid-back palapa bungalows spread across the beach in southern Mexico's surf Mecca, Hotel Escondido brings a dose of style—and a 50-meter infinity pool—to the swell scene. BYO straw hat. 

Crystal Pier Hotel
Where: San Diego, CA {USA}
Deets: Perched over the Pacific Ocean atop San Diego's most popular surf address, Pacific Beach, cottages lining the pier at Crystal Pier Hotel spell swell with a capital S. It's one thing to surf the break; it's another to sleep over it.  

[photos sourced online via properties listed]

Tour de Tulum

[trip style = beach + sun + glamping + food/wine] 

Juice shacks line the street. Kite boarders dangle over the ocean blue. Yoga retreats occupy every second hotel. Every cab has sand on the floors. This is Tulum. 

Located 1 hour and 40 mins South of the Cancun Airport {CUN}, Tulum is an impossibly cool eco- retreat planted where the Yucatan jungle meets the Caribbean Sea. Stretching from the Tulum Ruins down to the Sian Ka'an arch along a narrow road following the shore, you'll find a wind-swept complexion, nature-infused physique and Swiss Family Robinson-styled abodes soothing you into a slow-going rhythm set by the endless beach's crashing waves. 

Out for dinner one night, I overheard someone say "we love this place so much, we've stopped going to Hawaii." While you won't find me giving up my obsession with aloha, this comment confirmed Tulum is gathering a large clan of converts ranging from European families to fashion bloggers to wellness gurus (and the occasional free-spirited yogi who practices the downward dog topless). The result? A fetching fusion of gorgeous, groovy and granola neatly wrapped into one 10km package.

Stay
Papaya Playa Project: See my Roam+Board review here. While I didn't rest my head at the following boutique hotels, these also come highly recommended by my colleagues: Coqui Coqui and Be Tulum. 

Papaya Playa Project 

Coqui Coqui

Be Tulum

Do
Rent a bike. Go to a juice bar. Visit the Ruins {bring your bathing suit, there's a gorgeous beach onsite}. Shop at the boutiques. 

Tulum Ruins

Beach at the Tulum Ruins

Shopping—make that buying perfume—at Coqui Coqui

Eat
I ate at a number of restaurants in Tulum. These are the most trip- and food-styled choices:
Hartwood: Easily the top recommended restaurant in Tulum, Hartwood wows with every glance, every texture, every bite, every sip. Shaded by palm fronds and lit by the stars, servers carry local food outfitted in jeans, Ts and canvas aprons, making you wonder if you're suspended in a food nirvana somewhere between Brooklyn and Mexico. The white pebble- and canopy-clad environs is enough to make me drool, but it's the cuisine—displayed like a high-end food market and prepared in a two-walled kitchen sans electrical appliances—that made want to return every night. 
Gitano: If I had a backyard, and I built a restaurant—or simply a place to entertain—in said backyard, it would look like Gitano {with a splash of Hartwood}. Strings of lights hung from marine rope light the open-air space setting the secret jungle garden aglow. The hub, an A-frame bar made of reclaimed wood, is inspiring enough to say "I'll have another" more than once. Add in the Mexican minimalist food—tortilla soup served in a clay bowl or fish tacos neatly placed atop a wooden board—and you'll be sticking around for...another round and some dancing under the disco ball. 
Casa Jaguar: High on the romance-meter, Casa Jaguar is an intimate eatery with enough private quadrants to kiss between every course. It's look, hovering somewhere between the pages of DWELL and House Beautiful, creates a country-meets-modern take on jungle dining, serving up fresh Mexican dishes with an Italian disposition.    

Hartwood {make advanced resos, or if you're a walk-in, arrive early or late}

The scene

The menu

Hartwood's open-air kitchen

Heading into Gitano

The scene

The drinks

The food: Tortilla soup

Casa Jaguar

Trip Styler Tips
- Most hotels, restaurants and shops in Tulum sit within 5km of each other on Boca Paila Road. A cab up or down the road costs between 50 and 70 pesos. Don't catch a cab in front of Hartwood, it will set you back a minimum of US$10. Walk a little up the road to avoid the surcharge.
- Ninety-nine percent of Tulum restaurants and cabs only accept cash (Pesos or USD). 
- It's not easy to find a bank machine in Tulum, and they all charge ridic extra fees. This said, we found one in the entrance to the Ahau Hotel which was pretty reliable and didn't charge an insane fee. Bring money, or grab it in the nearby town of El Pueblo at Scotiabank or HSBC.
- If there's been a recent rainfall, the bugs can be bad at night. Bring mosquito repellant. {If you forget, most restaurants have a courtesy bottle.} 
- Getting to Tulum from the airport via cab will cost a minimum of US$100. The way back should be about US$80. 

More Mexico
Hola Huatulco
Exploring Mexican Wine Country --> Hotel  // A Guide
Find your calling {San Felipe, Mexico}
Spotlight: Puerto Vallarta

[photos by @tripstyler except for Be Tulum and Casa Jaguar via each website]

Roam+Board :: Papaya Playa Project

[trip style = sun + beach + glamping]  

What
Ever since the Papaya Playa Project {PPP}—a joint venture between Design Hotels and the developer—graced the palm tree-kissed shores of Tulum in December 2011 as a pop-up with a long-term plan, Mr. Trip Styler and I have been plotting our visit. 

As glamping-obsessed travelers, we couldn't ignore the eco-retreat's raw beauty and thatched-roof bones. Plus, the lure of living like beach bohemians sans hairdryers, plush hotel slippers, or do-not-disturb signs in bungalows built from local materials was all-too-alluring from our city-slicker standpoint. 

Stretching over a 900 meter ribbon of private oceanfront just a few kilometers North of Tulum's never-ending beach, PPP's 80 rooms—some casitas, some full-featured casas—dot the seafront edge of the multi-acre property.

Each hut's combo of no-frills furniture, billowing mosquito nets, basket lights and custom-designed textiles is enough to make you love your abode, and yet the lure of the legendary setting is a call outward to the hotel's hub—its waves, restaurant, bar, beach club, and amphitheatre which hosts visiting musicians and DJs. 

We spent most of our days at the beach under our four-post palapa atop a teal beach mattress propped up by a handmade headboard (pictured below). Sometimes at the end of a beach day, you want to wash off the salt and sand and call it a day. At PPP, I never had that inkling, instead, I stayed planted in my palapa until sundown. It's that kinda place. 

Trip Styler approved. 

Where
Tulum, Mexico, about 1 hour and 40 minutes by car from the Cancun {CUN} Airport. 

When
Mexico's Caribbean Coast is postcard-perf most of the year. The only time its endless summer is ever-so-slightly threatened is between June and November during Hurricane season. Note: August and September are the worst-offending months, yet even during this sometimes-tumultuous period, the weather is still beautiful *most* of the time.
Kudos: I visited at the beginning of hurricane season and during check-in I was asked my blood type in case of emergency.  

Who/Why
You value design, minimalism and an away-from-it-all setting (and mentality) that calls for nothing more than bare feet, a bathing suit and a beer. 

Cost
Rates start at $105/night and include bottled water, palm frond-covered beach palapas, beach towels and parking. Complimentary WiFi is available in public areas, though it runs off a satellite, so the signal can be on-again, off-again. Kids welcome. Ladies, BYO hairdryer (or embrace beach waves).

Trip Styler Tips:
- Tulum's sand-meets-jungle whereabouts give way to a breezy beach life and a still jungle life. The absence of wind in the woods means mosquitos and noseeums come out to play, so bring repellant for off-beach explorations. 
- Once monthly the hotel hosts full moon parties, which pump tunes until 4am. I was there during one of these par-tays, and while the beats were partially carried away in the wind, I still heard the music {even with earplugs}.
- Double-check your bill at check-out—a good practice no matter where you stay. Mine had a bunch of charges from other units, which needed correction. 
- There are a lot of old reviews about the hotel, which is in a constant state of growth. Note: all rooms have bathrooms. Some base "cabana" rooms do not have plugs for electronics—which can be charged at reception. The hotel is working diligently to get outlets in every room.
- Book a room with AC as temperatures reach 40+ degrees Celsius in some seasons, and mosquitoes loom at night. 
- There is a kiteboarding school onsite. When the wind fades in the summer months, the ocean repertoire transitions to surfing. Private private surf lesson with rental from $45/hour. Kiteboarding lesson with gear from $80/hour. 
- Bikes are an excellent way to explore the mostly-flat area. They can be rented for $8/day a few hundred meters South from PPP.

Photos

The 900m beach with its handmade beach palapas

Selfie in front of the sign (because I matched my bike and my bike matched the sign)

Lobby

A map of the property painted on the wall of the lobby 

Walking the grounds  

Beachfront Casita

Our New Casita 

View from our bed to the sea a few steps below

Inside our New Casita 

Note the open shower and the beachy towel rack in the background

Where we ate breakfast every day

One course of our breakfast 

The resort's wind-swept look 

Entrance to the beach from the main restaurant/bar hub

Mr. Trip Styler post-surf

He rented his board from the on-site kite/surf school: Sian Kite

The endless summer beach

More Roam+Board
Banyan Tree Mayakoba - Riviera Maya, Mexico
Painted Boat Resort - Pender Harbour
Villa Samadhi - Kuala Lumpur
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or - Morocco
Mandarin Oriental - Las Vegas
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai
Hotel Lone - Croatia

[photos by @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: Banyan Tree Mayakoba

[trip style = sun + beach + luxury]

Editor's Note: The last scenes of my Expedia storybook were shot at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, a hotel I specifically hand-picked for the project. Once you drool over this styled stay, enter to win it! The contest runs June 24, 2014 - Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 at noon PST.  

What
The 107-villa Banyan Tree Mayakoba epitomizes the jet-set lifestyle {and it has a treasure trove of Gold-List awards to prove it}. When every room's footprint starts at 3000 square feet and comes complete with its own private plunge pool and Italian espresso machine, the lap of luxury lingers in every moment.

Thankfully, its brand of Caribbean-chic is understated meaning you won't see Saint-Tropez-tanned men clad in white-linen ensembles or women wrapped in bedazzled beach coverups strutting the grounds like resort-wear models. On the flip-side, you will find a tranquil elegance marked with Thai taste and Mexican mi-casa-es-su-casa hospitality. 

I've been eyeing Mexico's Yucatan Banyan Tree since I visited the region four years ago. After taking a gander at the beachfront pool and eating in Tamarind restaurant, Mr. Trip Styler and I vowed we'd one day return.

Our recent stay confirmed our trip styled suspicions. Set beside a series of natural canals meandering between mangroves, the resort has a village-on-water wherewithal nearing mystical realms.

Rooms carry on this aesthetic with celestial-high ceilings—ours was near three stories—private indoor-outdoor living, and bathrooms the size of city apartments. In other words, there's no reason to leave your foxy plot, unless of course you're a beach-, spa- or restaurant-lover. Trip Styler approved. 

Where
Mexico's Riviera Maya, 40 minutes by car from the Cancun {CUN} Airport and 15 minutes from Playa Del Carmen. 

Trip Styler Tip: Taking a cab from the hotel into Playa Del Carmen costs approx. US$23. If you like err on the side of soft-core adventure, consider taking an air-conditioned Colectivo, a fleet of 15-passenger vans that transport people from A to B. To catch one, simply ask the hotel to drive you to the main road, stand on the side in the direction you want to go, and one will stop. They come every 5-10 minutes. {I took one all the way to Tulum!}. That same trip into Playa now costs 30 Pesos or US$2/person. 

When
While 95% of the year is near postcard-perfect along the Riviera Maya—home to the second-largest coral reef in the world—the region does rest on the edge of the hurricane belt. This area *can* get stormy from June to November, with August and September being the worst offenders. However, even during this sometimes-tumultuous period, the weather is still beautiful *most* of the time.

Who/Why
Space and design matter to you. So do beach treats à la lemongrass popsicles, and the option to skinny-dip in your personal plunge pool. 

Cost
Rates start at $365/night—I spotted this price on Expedia in June—and inch up into the $1000+ range in high season. Each stay includes complimentary resort-wide WiFi, twice-daily fruit delivery, bottled water, in-room Lavazza espresso machine, use of stand-up paddleboards or kayaks at the beach, and transfers to the restaurants at the other hotels {Fairmont and Rosewood} on the Mayakoba property, as well as the Banyan Tree beach and pool. If you want to use one of the on-site bikes, that will set you back $6/day. Kids welcome.

Photos

The lobby

Another shot of the lobby, which is set back from the ocean. Boats leave every 15 minutes for the beach (or, you can walk, hail a golf cart or bike}. 

The beach

Our villa's private plunge pool {every villa comes standard with a private pool}

Feather-down beds anchoring a headboard soaring up to the villa's ceiling

Our villa 

The apartment-sized bathroom with Mexi-gorgeous earthenware sinks

Private outdoor bath

More Roam+Board
Painted Boat Resort - Pender Harbour
Villa Samadhi - Kuala Lumpur
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or - Morocco
Mandarin Oriental - Las Vegas
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai
Hotel Lone - Croatia

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

How Carmen Sandiego Fuelled My Wanderlust

[trip style = any]

Editor's Note: Read until the bottom. Our biggest-ever giveaway awaits! 

Pl-ease tell me you remember the computer game/TV show: Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

When I was a kidlet, my dad surprised our family one Christmas with a Macintosh Classic II computer. The magical box' screen was the size of my hand and the keys clicked like crickets. For the late-1980s; this was the peak of at-home technology. 

Along with the Mac, my dad got us Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego, a geography- and adventure-themed computer game for kids following a female heroine {Carmen} as she trekked from Toronto to Tokyo all while wearing her signature wide-brimmed hat and cherry-red trench. 

Looking back, this is my first memory of the world map. Earth was no longer a confusing green- and blue-hued art piece suspended over the green chalk board in my grade three class, but a real place begging to be explored. 

Besides family trips exploring the West Coast or meeting Mickey at Disneyland, armchair traveling with Ms. Sandiego was my first brush with global travel. She fuelled my wanderlust {something I've never been able to ignore}.

Fast-forward to my first job post-university. After tasting Ms. Sandiego's globetrotting lifestyle in study-abroad classes at school, it became crystal clear my faux-wood desk would never grow jet propulsion engines or dole out fresh-baked croissants, so I quit and went to Paris. Twice. A stint working on a cruise ship followed. Finally, my travel dance card was inching closer to Carmen status.

In early 2014, Expedia.com launched "storybook", a campaign centred around turning travel ideas into reality. In the opening video a mom reads her son fantastical fairy tales and shows him it can all be real in a trip uncovering vast kingdoms, castles and villages on water. In partnership with this, as one of 12 Expedia Viewfinders in North America, I was asked "What's your travel storybook"? Or, what fuelled your fire for travel?

I thought about the answer for a long time—even toyed with recreating the scene when I fell in love with Mr. Trip Styler on the Great Wall of China {no joke!}. Then it hit me. I have to give credence to Carmen; she played an early role in my wanderlust.

Realizing a story touching multiple coordinates on the map had to be visual, I made a video {including my own signature twist on Carmen's classic chapeau}:

This short reel recreates my early years of "Carm-chair travel" and follows my recent trip styled quests to San Francisco, Napa, Cannon Beach, Seattle, Canada's Sunshine Coast, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Bali and Mexico. 

While travel has a different impact on each wanderer, if I distill my cross-cultural adventures into one personal truth, it's this: Carmen-style curiosity is not quenched in a single country or trip, but in the stories we live along the way.

To my parents: Thank you for asking Santa to skip the neon scrunchies I asked for in 1989. The magical box ended up doing magical things in my life.

Trip Styled Travel: A Giveaway
The last scene of the video is shot in Mexico's Riviera Maya at one of my favorite hotels, the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, an all-villa resort where each abode comes with its own plunge pool {see my hotel photos + profile in TS' latest Roam+Board feature}. Having had my eye on this chic stay for the past five years, I wanted to share the TS love with the world explorer in all of us in our MOST EPIC trip styled prize package ever:

A three-night stay at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, and a US$750 flight credit toward your trip from Expedia.com {a value totalling more than US$2500}. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest Details
1/ You must be 18 or over and a legal US resident to enter. {To my Canadian friends: This is because the giveaway is in partnership with Expedia.com.} 
2/ The contest is open from Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 at noon PST. 
3/ The winner, chosen at random by Rafflecopter, will be announced and contacted by 5pm on Wednesday, July 2nd, and has 48 hours to make contact once we email you with the good news. If we don't hear from you, we will do a second draw. 
4/ The Banyan Tree voucher is valid from May 1, 2014 – May 1, 2015 (excluding Christmas, New Year, Easter and Holiday periods). The US$750 flight credit from Expedia.com is valid July 1, 2014 - July, 1, 2015.

[Thank you to Expedia for making this project and this giveaway possible.]