Always a Blogsmaid

The Ferragamo Hotel

I've been meaning to post about this since I stayed here over Easter, but for those of you planning Italian honeymoons, I have a find for you!  I love Europe, but I've never been a huge fan of European Hotels.  The floral bedspreads and the blah blah bars downstairs never really did much for me.  So, on this last trip, we decided to shake things up a bit and burn our Euros in a different way and stayed at the AMAZING Gallery Hotel Art.

From the moment that we walked in - it's amazing location steps from Arno and around the corner from the Ponte Vecchio- the service was excellent, and the atmosphere sleek, modern, but still nice and warm.  They truly have a gallery there and it was nice to see some contemporary artwork while surrounded by all the fabulous renaissance works in Florence.  Ultimately, the library itself is the crowning jewel:  a warm and cozy gathering place for cappuccino in the morning, a cocktail with friends before dinner or, in my case, an unintentional nap after a long walk!

In the spirit of Earth Day, I wanted to also mention the fantastic consideration of the environment that this, and all Italian hotels enforce:  10 minutes after you lock the door to your room, the power is shut off.  It's less problematic than it sounds and conserves an unbelievable amount of power.  Something that made we wonder if we couldn't do something similar here!

The only downside is that the hotel is designed by Ferragamo and they won't let you forget it.  The design of the room is amazing, as is each detail. And they want you to know who is responsible.  Upon checking in, checking out, bringing your bags up or whatever, they will remind you that this property is "Designed by Feragamo."  On the plus side, you can buy Ferragamo shirts, ties or shirts directly from the front desk.

We pricelined our room and got a great deal, so keep your eyes open!  Or, bookmark this and wait till the Euro isn't completely pummeling the $.

The Perfect Honeymoon: My Vacation and HoneyMoon Suggestions

Brides and Grooms! My deepest apologies. January, in it's general shortage of weddings here in NY, is the perfect time for a planner to get away and I did. With all intentions to blog, blog, blog, I found that there is no internet or business center in paradise! (FABULOUS, FRANKLY!) There are also REALLY horrible movies on HBO Latino, but no matter. It was a fabulous holiday with my DH and I made a discovery for all of you To Be Weds out there: Cabo Azul!

My husband and I stayed in Cabo San Lucas for our honeymoon a couple of years ago and had a really great time. Since then, my family in law have all made the cross country trip to Baja California Sur and fallen in love. We were lucky enough to get to stay in a family time share in the FAR MORE ROMANTIC Cabo San Jose. While we were on a beach walk I was absolutely STRUCK by the AMAZING BEAUTY of Cabo Azul Resort.
The architecture is stunning. I insisted on a tour (my husband rolled his eyes, though he had to admit, it was swanky and just my style) The entry from the beach is secluded, private and stunning and they are in the midst of building an indoor outdoor chapel for ceremonies, which is stunning. .
Carved wood pillars are illuminated from the inside to create an artistic glow in the central areas of the resort.
The rooms each feature full eat in kitchens, as well as flat screen televisions, terraces and even some suites with private hot tubs. We befriended some guests visiting from Chicago who mentioned that the SPA is absolutely amazing, and many services INCLUDED in the room rate. The rates online aren't cheap, but they are running a PRE opening special at 50% off, so check it out.

Cabo San Jose is perfect for honeymooners: Luxurious, secluded and quiet, it's a strip of resorts and private homes about 25 minutes away from the more party heavy scene in Cabo San Lucas, but all the resorts run shuttles back and forth (and at night) so you can hit up Cabo Wabo with the best of them!