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]

Spotlight :: A Trip Styler Guide to Lanai

[trip style = sun + luxe + active/adventure + beach]

You go to the Private Island to decompress and to replenish. Unhindered by glitzy boutiques, be-seen hotspots or camera-toting crowds, Lanai lets you be---be with nature, be your own explorer, be with your loved one{s} and, most importantly, be yourself.

Hawaii's answer to a far-flung escape accomplishes this pure vacation cocktail by keeping it simple and slow. With only 3,000 people and 29 miles of paved roads, there are no stoplights; only stop signs. The speed limit in town is a mere 20mph; on the 'highway' the limit inches up to a roaring 45mph. One gas station fuels the island. One car rental agency---same owner as the gas station {someone's a savvy business person}---offers Jeeps to visiting explorers. One town square hosts the hub of activity. Two grocery stores and a string of cafes feed the locals. Three hotels house guests.

Staying true to its tone, there are no big-operation tourist attractions. The island's natural assets are the attraction. In fact, the closest thing to a tourist activity I did was take a ukulele lesson {pronounced ooo-koo-le-le} from Aunty Irene, a longtime local, who taught me my favorite song, "somewhere over the rainbow," and to be in the moment---one of Lanai's richest exports.

Stay
In every destination I visit around the world, it's my job to select hotels based on service, style, amenities and location. In a never-before move, I'm recommending all three Lanai hotels for different reasons. Consider dividing your time between at least two for a distinct experience.

1/ Hotel Lanai
An 11-room boutique property perched above Lanai City's town square, aka Dole Square. As the former guest house of visiting Dole executives during the island's near 80-year stint in pineapple production, it's a slice of Lanai history dressed in original timber floors, cottage-aloha decor and paintings by local artist Mike Carroll who gave up his mainland life as an in-demand illustrator to paint Lanai's landscapes. Stay here to connect with Lanai's history and observe local life outside your doorstep. Includes breakfast, wifi and use of cruiser bikes. From $149/night.

2/ Four Seasons Resort, Lodge at Koele
Just a short walk from Dole Square, the Lodge at Koele overlooks a sweeping horse pasture contoured by rows of Lanai's distinct Norfolk Pines, which glow as the sun sets. Walking in, I was taken aback by the Lodge's stature and woodsy-chic design. Sprawling at least half a soccer field in length, the Lodge is anchored by two crackling fireplaces, clusters of leather couches and creamy wingback chairs worthy of an haute couture safari lodge. It's the kind of place where I could spend all day reading a novel and sipping scotch. Out back, a rectangular, estate-esque pool beckons alongside hammocks and a croquet plot. From $280/night. {TS update 2015; this hotel is currently closed.}

3/ Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay
Fanning across the island's desert-climate southern shore, the Four Seasons at Manele Bay is posh without being proud. While the grounds are manicured to majestic status with orchids and plumerias peeking out of every corner, the environment is natural and beachy. Bigger-than-average rooms the size of backyard pools are decorated in muted tropical tones and each room has a lanai upon which to savor Lanai. From $400/night.

Play
To make the most of your vacation, divide your stay between hiking, exploring and pool/beach time. Because I was there for four days, I split my stay between doing and being. My first two days were spent in town, where I popped into shops and galleries, went for runs along the country roads and hiked up to Kolo’iki Ridge in the Lanai highlands to revel in the valley vistas giving way to the ocean.*  When I wasn't on foot, I engaged my Jeep's 4x4 capabilities {and my driving skills} and cruised around the island to the likes of Shipwreck Beach, an 8-mile stretch of sand and reef where a World War II cargo ship rusts offshore; Garden of the Gods, a wind-swept, near-lunar landscape stacked in red-hued spires and boulders carved by the elements {gorgeous at sunset}; and the Lanai Animal Rescue Center, staffed a group of kind-hearted locals who love on and rehabilitate a rag-tag collection of 370 cats, each of whom has a name! Note: hotel guests can pop in by appointment to spend time with the cats and learn about the sanctuary. *Two hours return from the Lodge at Koele---speak to the concierge for a detailed map.

For my two seaside days, I floated between Hulopoe Beach and the Four Seasons at Manele Bay's pool and spa. By morning I'd clear my mind crunching along the shell- and lava-lined shore on Fisherman's Trail, and by evening I'd live every second of golden hour and scale the easy climb to Sweetheart Rock, an 80-foot cinder cone ridge towering over the ocean. From here---my current earthly happy place---I had prime seating to the greatest show on earth: a Lanai sunset, which plays nightly, around 6pm.

Eat
There are a few musts when it comes to munching in Lanai. Most of the upscale restaurants are attached to hotels, while local stops like Cafe 565 or Blue Ginger Cafe dotting Dole Square are good bets for grabbing a plate lunch or picnic. For the following selections you'll notice a tuna theme because I believe in eating local and fresh wherever I travel. For upscale indulgences, I recommend savoring a black Hawaiian lava salt-crusted ahi---so fresh it melts in your mouth---in the glow of tiki torches at Kailani at the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. Do NOT miss dining in the grand gathering place of the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele at Terrace, where I nibbled on a tuna and avocado terrine with taro chips. So taken by the crackling fires burning at either end of lodge, I asked my server if I could move to a leather chair by the fire. He gladly obliged and agreed my plan was fitting. Finally, designed by celeb chef Bev Gannon {who visits frequently}, the Lanai City Grille is frequented by locals as much as visitors for its warm service and local catch with a worldly twist. Case in point: I still dream about my ahi poke tacos served in a crisp wonton shell with goat cheese and wasabi crème fraiche.

Trip Styler Tips
1/ An efficient shuttle system transports guests between the hotels, to/from the airport and port and into town. Talk to your hotel about any applicable one-time fees for use. If you'd rather hail a cab instead, you'll be waiting awhile, as they don't exist on Lanai.

2/ If you rent a car, and I suggest you do for a day or two to explore the island off-road, read the sign in the rental agency about the current condition of the backcountry paths. On occasion, the weather can hinder these routes. Jeeps from $125/day.

3/ Lanai, like most of Hawaii, orients its activities around the day versus the night. On Friday nights, the Lanai City Grille is the biggest ticket in town, where local talent belts it out for Friday Under the Stars; otherwise, expect to spend your evenings watching the sunset, dining at your hotel, or grabbing a bite from one of the cafes in town.

[photos, videos & graphics by @tripstyler, taken while a guest of the Hawaii Tourism Authority]

Spotlight :: A Lesson in Lanai

[trip style = sun + luxe + active/adventure + beach]

Like a supermodel, Lanai is splashed in mystique. From afar she's private and exotic; up close, she's approachable and genuine. To be intimidated by her otherworldly beauty and seemingly hard-to-approach position is to miss one of the most unique islands in Hawaii.

Trip Styler Tip :: Lanai is reachable via 40-minute passenger ferry from Maui or a short flight from Oahu or Maui.

I'm a lover of all things aloha, and Lanai has been at the top of my Hawaiian vacation list for awhile {read: nine years}. I don't have a very good excuse for failing to visit, either. From the West Coast, reaching Maui is an easy, direct flight, and from there, I never calculated how simple it is to take a small step over to the Private Island until my visit in September. It's so close to Maui that some hotel staff commute, as does the Fedex truck for its once-a-week drop-offs.

I arrived by air from Oahu and hopped on the inter-island guest shuttle system---there are no cabs---past the iconic and pointy Norfolk Pines lining the road. The shuttle took me to the only car rental agency on the island, Dollar Rent-a-Car, where I picked up my Jeep for the week. You don't need a rental car for your whole stay, but renting one for a day or two allows you to navigate the near-abandoned beaches and lunar landscapes. Plus, there are only 29 miles of paved roads covering the island's 141 square miles, so the Jeep's 4x4 capabilities lend themselves to the bumpy stretches leading to these stunners.

Lanai is in a unique position. It's one of the only Hawaiian islands that's privately owned. Back it 1922, James Dole {of pineapple fame} purchased part of the island to grow pineapples. As his business grew, so did his island holdings. For years, Lanai was known as the Pineapple Isle, at one point producing 75% of the world's pineapples. On Shipwreck Beach---one of the remote places I took my Jeep off roading---I found beach huts built back in the "pineapple days." These basic but dreamy Swiss Family Robinson-style structures served as family gathering places for fishing and surfing. People still use these abodes today, evidenced by the housewares hanging from the rafters and the surfboards leaning against the roofs.

Once pineapple production was sent overseas, David Murdock purchased the island plot in the mid-eighties with the vision to shift the fledgeling fruit production {and profits} into tourism. He built two hotels, a grand and woodsy lodge near the town of 3,000, and a waterfront property, now both Four Seasons resorts.

In 2012, news broke that Larry Ellison, one of the USA's most wealthy CEO/playboys, purchased Lanai. With the help of a local leader, he's invested in local services like rebuilding the community center and pool, as well as tourism, updating both hotels, and even going so far as adding Island Air, one of the main airlines serving Lanai, to his arsenal.

With this change in ownership, direction and cachet, Lanai has a new name: the Private Island. As a result, some publications will tell you it's full of jetsetters who drink martinis at 10am, golf with pros and use their private jets like most people use their cars. This tale, while partially true but barely visible, is not an accurate representation of the island's soul. It's one of the most down to earth destinations I've ever visited.

It's a place you go to experience a different Hawaii, to dip your toes into seawater lapping onto deserted beaches, to hike up to soul-searching viewpoints and, at night, decide if you want to savor a picnic and the sunset from Sweetheart Rock or nibble on sashimi at Nobu. Like I said, this supermodel is as approachable as she is exotic.

Stay tuned for Thursday, when I'll go into where to stay, where to eat and what to do.

[photos and video by @tripstyler]

Roam+Board :: Hotel Lone

[trip style = luxury + spa + foodie + sightseeing]

{Editor's Note :: Recently, Trip Styler's Fashion Friday contributor, Heather, visited Croatia. Here, she gushes about one of her favorite Croatian hotels.}

What
Croatia's first five-star design hotel rises from its lush forest setting like a gleaming white ocean liner. The minimalist, curvy waterfront hotel was conceived and crafted by Croatian creatives. Everything from architecture to art to furniture to light fixtures to uniforms are Croatian design. I was wowed from the moment I stepped inside, greeted by a two-story living wall and a 9-metre art installation.

While Hotel Lone is only a 15-minute walk from Rovinj {pronounced roh-VEEN}, one of Croatia's most picturesque hilltop towns, you may never want to leave the property. It boasts excellent restaurants {I highly recommend "L"}, a Croatian design store where you can find unique gifts for others or yourself, a wine shop, indoor and outdoor pools, full-service spa, Finnish-style baths, saunas and steam rooms. If you're not accustomed to European spas, take note: the saunas and steam rooms are co-ed and clothing optional {emphasis on the optional}.

Rooms are large, decorated with tasteful textiles and furniture in greys, greens and blues, and all have big balconies with ocean or park views. Sixteen rooms have their own balcony infinity pool. Forget never leaving the property; you may never want to leave your room! I confess that we spent one night in our room, wearing robes, eating room service and watching Italian television. Perfecto! Trip Styler approved!

Where
The hotel is a short walk from the center of Rovinj on Croatia's Istrian peninsula. Rovinj is the country's most Italian city and only a three-hour ferry ride from Venice. If you're driving, it's 40 minutes from Pula or 3 hours from Zagreb.

When
A year-round destination popular with Italian, Slovenian and Croatian weekenders, Rovinj is hot -- both in temperature and busyness -- during the summer, but you can count on milder temperatures and smaller crowds in late spring and early fall. The hotel fills its 248 rooms with conference goers during low season. Foodies take note: October is white truffle season, with festivals and hunts celebrating the delicacy known for its aphrodisiac characteristics.

Who/Why
You consult the Design Hotels guide when selecting a place to stay. You appreciate a full-service resort that has everything you need, but doesn't feel like an all-inclusive mini city. You need a relaxing escape in the midst of your European vacation -- and you're not afraid of a nude spa.

Cost
Rates start around $150/night in low season for a premium double room {the same room will cost you up to $500/night during the summer}. Rates include full breakfast buffet, spa access, WiFi and free arrival-day minibar. Free street parking or paid valet. Note: single occupancy {vs. double occupancy} can save you up to $100/night.

Photos

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

[photos by @heatherlovesit]

Roam+Board :: Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay

[trip style = luxury + beach + sun]

What If you're an avid Trip Styler reader, you know my stays trend toward indie and petite versus branded and grand. Occasionally, though, I make exceptions for rare and iconic finds. This is one of those times when both descriptors apply, and then some.

The Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay is decidedly different. It's removed, it's unique, and it's personalized. As a guest, your needs are anticipated beyond the Four Seasons standard---an industry benchmark---because staff treat you like you're a long-lost relative visiting town.

Yesterday I lounged poolside overlooking one of Lanai's loveliest sandy beaches. While there, every attendant learned my name, and then proceeded to take pool service to the next level. I thought I'd seen it all in the realm of poolside perks until Dr. Shades---bearing a bright orange shirt with that name---offered to clean my sunglasses and tighten one of the loose arms. Next, a gentleman armed with a holster of Evian mist and a tray of cold towels popped by, as did attendants with trays of treats ranging from beet-wrapped prosciutto to banana-orange smoothies. At that moment I decided two nights wasn't nearly enough.

Spread across the ocean-plunging landscape like a fan, oversized rooms are decorated in muted tropical tones. And, in a nod to the tropics, each features a lanai upon which to savor Lanai. Orchids, beach-chic furniture and botanical-esque gardens round out the rest of the 236-room property. Trip Styler approved.

Where
Lanai is reachable by plane from most Hawaiian isles, or by 45-minute passenger ferry from Lahaina, Maui {$35 each way}.

When
Lanai boasts bathing suit and umbrella drink weather year-round, showing a mild increase in precipitation November - February. However, Manele Bay is on the southern, sun-drenched end of the island, so it stays pretty dry.

Who/Why
You like luxury, but forge a path beyond the oft-visited to get there. You're into removed resorts, the kind with natural nightlights glowing sky-high.

Cost
Rates start around $400 per night---though in low season you can probably find a multi-night deal for less---and include WiFi, in-room Nespresso and poolside perks like smoothies and Dr. Shades sunglasses service. Keiki programs are also complimentary for kiddos aged 5 - 12. And, so you stay healthy on the road, sunset yoga is also included in your room rate. Namaste.

More Roam+Board
The Templar – TorontoEncuentro Guadalupe – MexicoThe Ampersand Hotel – LondonLava Lava Beach Club – HawaiiThe Wickaninnish Inn – TofinoJumeirah Zabeel Saray – Dubai
Find more R+B hotels featured here, plus our it list of worldwide hotel picks.

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