Poolside Faux Pas

[trip style = all-inclusive + sun + beach + budget conscious + luxury]

First let me say, there are bigger problems to have in life than being annoyed by something or someone whilst lounging poolside. But since Trip Styler chats about travel lifestyle {and we're big on travel etiquette}, I digress.

Whether you've scored a deal on Travelzoo or paid full price for poolside bliss AND attendants at a Relais & Châteaux property, certain behaviours ruin the mood. And gosh darn it, you've paid to be there! If you're heading away this winter, here are some common poolside pet peeves to avoid for the greater good:

Hotel Pool Faux Pas

• Leaving your towel on your beach or pool chair when you leave!
• Saving pool loungers or palapas for 5 hours when you're not there!
• Loud speakers. Are you delivering a keynote? I didn't think so.
• Cell phone talkers. Step away, far away from the pool please.
• Smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes in densely populated areas.
• Splashers. {Submitted by @ckjnewberry} Sure, a little pool play is fine, but don't splash other guests, that's what the ocean is for.
• Loud iPod'ers.
• Not treating the hotel or resort staff {who work harder than you know, and are often mistreated by other guests} with care.

Do you have any to add that we're missing?

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[photo by @tripstyler, taken two weeks ago at the Parker Palm Springs]

Roam+Board :: Parker Palm Springs

[trip style = sun + luxury]

{Editor's Note: I chose this property as the first of two stays this week with the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and it is Trip Styler approved! I will definitely be returning.}

What Harkening back to the Palm Springs Hollywood hideaway era, the Parker is a place of privacy and intrigue. Purposefully unnamed photo shoots and 70's rockers are lost in the grounds away from the public eye. And that was just yesterday. Palm trees towering above guide the way through curvy trails and quaffed, yet bushy foliage. Select openings reveal  grassy clearings with butterfly chairs surrounding a fire pit, a rope hammock {large enough for deux} hanging between twin palms and a chic lemonade stand beside the pool.

When you first arrive at the resort, a dramatic wall of white concrete geometric blocks leads to a grand entrance with tall orange doors. Very Jonathan Adler, the hotel's designer with a penchant for bold, playful, geometric and clashy. Everything is done well with extras like Hermès soap and a plastic access card designed with an antique bronze key and gold ribbon loop.

The Parker is a property that balances the almost impossible task of offering a no-stone-unturned stay with a sense of unfinished business, making first-time guests repeat offenders!

Where Palm Springs, California. Ten minutes away from the airport and three minutes outside of town.

When Any.time.of.year. Weekends are busy with LA's escape and recording artists, but nab a spot in the front row by booking in advance. Winter is popular with Jr. snowbirds and there's a select few who love a spring fling. Locals say the summer is unbearable, but if you can stand the heat and pool time is your only mission, accept it.

Who/Why You are a hat and sunglasses type who is only "seen" when you want to be. Your perfect afternoon is spent playing pétanque {bocci} and sipping spiked lemonade, followed by a rousing game of croquet. At night, lounge beside a circular mid-century mod indoor fire {all that's missing is the sunken living room} with a gin martini---shaken, not stirred.

Cost From approximately $200/night in the off-season, with a mandatory $30/room/night resort fee which includes wifi throughout the hotel, valet parking, gym, steam, sauna, local calls, sparkling water and a morning coffee wake-up call.

{Trip Styler Tip :: If you go to the hotel's spa {PSYC}, ask about the whisky, vodka or gin pre-treatment shot. Follow it up by brunch at Norma's.}

More Roam+Board Sorobon Beach Resort – Bonaire Kura Hulanda – Curacao Hotel Kakslauttanen – Finland The Met – Vancouver Custom Hotel – LAX Bitter End Yacht Club – BVI Sleep On The Water – London A Woodsy Hideaway – Big Sur, CA

[photos by @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: Kura Hulanda

[trip style = urban + sightseeing // beach + sun]

{Editor's Note: This property is Trip Styler approved. I just spent four days at Kura Hulanda, and did so on my own dime. Per our editorial policy, complimentary stays are always disclosed.}

What Two unique boutique properties; a city hotel and spa, and oceanfront lodge and beach club. Both members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Kura Hulanda properties offer the most ideal Curacao experience; city culture and country calm. Hotel Stay in a completely restored Dutch village, now a UNESCO world heritage site and hotel in the centre of Curacao's main city, Willemstad. Winding cobblestone streets connect each room with sturdy hardwood floors, antique furniture and marble bathrooms. Cool down after sightseeing under a waterfall splashing into a palm-covered eco pool, or on a cushioned lounger. Lodge At Kura Hulanda Lodge you don't stray far from overhanging trees and the coral cliff coastline. Offering a refined, tranquil beachside atmosphere versus hoity toity mega resort, the location, facilities and staff allow you to fully unpack your bags, body and soul. Leave your big jewels and fancy clothes behind, you won't need them when you're dining alfresco under a palm-roofed restaurant or snorkeling in the aquamarine waters below.

Where Curacao. The hotel is in Willemstad, the country's oceanside capital. The lodge is 45 mins from the hotel {30 mins from the airport} in the small town of Westpunt. A shuttle service {with two arrivals and departures daily} connects the two properties. Via taxi, to/from the airport to the hotel is $25, and the lodge is $60USD.

When Year round. How can you dispute an annual temperature of 27 degrees Celsius? With the humidex, 27 feels like 40! Sweaters aren't even required at night. The Caribbean's traditional hurricane season {june 15 - Nov 15} brings some rain, but because Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire are below the main hurricane belt, the storms are normally short-lived---to the tune of 10 minutes or three hours. Note that November is typically the rainy season, though I was just there and the skies were blue. To secure the best prices, visit at the tail end of hurricane season and before Christmas {Oct 1 - Dec 15}, or after March. Case in point, the hotel was just offered on Jetsetter {my fave travel flash sale website, featured in TS Recommends} for $70/night---one of the best values in the Caribbean.

Who/Why You're part culture-buff and part sun-seeker who loathes standard-issue hotel stays.

Cost Rooms start at $137 in the hotel and $115 in the lodge with a low season discount. Includes free + {fast!} wifi {everywhere in the lodge & main square at hotel}, plus a daily transfer between the hotel and lodge. {Trip Styler Tip :: Stay at both the hotel and the lodge for the full Curacao experience. If you have a week, do a 2/5-night split.} 

More Roam+Board Hotel Kakslauttanen - Finland The Met – Vancouver Custom Hotel – LAX Bitter End Yacht Club – BVI Sleep On The Water – London A Woodsy Hideaway – Big Sur, CA

[photos by Kura Hulanda & @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: The Met Vancouver

[trip style = luxury + urban]

{Editor's Note: Hovering somewhere between a boutique property and urban resort, the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver's got it, but doesn't need to flaunt it. Recently I was invited to reacquaint myself with the property---an invitation I gladly accepted given I used to do a lot of business with the hotel in my former life. As in years passed, the facilities, food and guest services approach receive an A on my report card. Here's why:}

What When a hotel has amenities like a Jaguar car service, Frette bathrobes and Molton Brown bath products, you know it's going to be discerning. And it is. Locals call it The Met, visitors call it their contemporary, asian-inspired home away from home. Two black stone lions quarried in China usher you from street to lobby. Inside, something grabs you. A calm sets in. No wonder; the hotel was originally built with the help of a Feng Shui master and constructed in the shape of a fan {though sadly, this is not totally distinguishable from the street}.

Where In the nerve centre of Vancouver's downtown, across from Pacific Centre mall, one hundred steps from The Vancouver Art Gallery, two blocks from Robson Street and near public transit.

When Summer is Vancouver's peak season, but it's during the festive season the hotel gets all dolled up. Perfect as a place to rest your head and feet after a Christmas power shopping session, or refuel over bubbles and molecular cuisine at Diva, the hotel's signature restaurant.

Who/Why You are polished and well-rounded, and you expect the same standard from your hotel. You appreciate discreet service, excellent cuisine and a well-tended facility to sculpt your body.

Cost From $175/night; includes a Jaguar car service in the downtown area, wifi in both public areas and guest rooms, a squash court, pool {excellent for laps}, whirlpool and gym. Note that the following packages sweeten the deal: Long Weekends At The Met - Turn any weekend into a long weekend. Pay for a Fri/Sat night or a Sat/Sun night and get third night free! Rates start at $195/night for the two weekend nights. Out On The Town - In town for a holiday performance, concert, Canucks game or...? Just show your tickets when you check in to get a rate as low as $155/night with complimentary valet parking and late check-out.

More Roam+Board Custom Hotel – LAX Bitter End Yacht Club – BVI Sleep On The Water – London A Woodsy Hideaway – Big Sur, CA

[photos assembled by @tripstyler via The Metropolitan Hotel + Diva]

Pink For a Purpose

[trip style = urban + luxury] Like a crisp rosé savoured with a creamy rocchetta cheese, when an afternoon or overnight break is paired with good cause, it is that much more rewarding. This month, eating and staying with a purpose comes in a shade of pink in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation {CBCF}.

Here are a few eat + stay + support opportunities at hotels in BC* embracing breast cancer awareness month: *if you reside outside of Vancouver or Seattle, and want to support pink, check with your favourite hotels and resorts for pink partnerships

Tea Raise your pinky---a functional and fashionable part of tea drinking etiquette---and partake in the sophisticated tradition of sipping a spot of tea in the afternoon. Partial proceeds donated to the CBCF in Canada and the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the USA. Where - The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver The Fairmont Pacific Rim The Fairmont Empress {Oct 24-30} The Fairmont Chateau Whistler The Fairmont Olympic {Seattle} Cost - $25 - $47/person

Stay One of Canada's leading hotels {according to Travel+Leisure readers}, is combining frothy ocean views and pink bubbly. For the month of October, stay overnight and along with Blue Mountain Vineyards, partial proceeds from your stay will be donated to the CBCF. Package includes an overnight stay, a bottle of Blue Mountain Brut Rosé, a $100 Ancient Cedars Spa credit and valet parking. Details. Where - The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino BC Cost - From $550 Note - If you haven't booked the pink 'stay' package, you can still support the cause by sipping bubbles at The Pointe Restaurant, with $2 from each glass or $10 from each bottle of Blue Mountain Rosé sparkling donated to Breast Cancer Awareness.

[photos by @TripStyler & @wickinnBC]