Just Back From: Goldeneye, Jamaica

Property Type: Boutique beach hideaway

Destination: Oracabessa Bay, on the north coast of Jamaica

Getting There:  You can fly into either Montego Bay or Kingston, but we suggest you choose Montego Bay, as the drive (approx. 73 miles) to GoldenEye is both faster and more scenic. 

Who is it for? The sophisticated, laid-back traveler who is looking for a personal and relaxed experience - barefoot luxury. Families would do well here too, but note there are no specific programs for kids.

Our Take:

Pulling up to entrance of the GoldenEye Hotel and Resort on Oracabessa Bay, we doubted at first we were in the right place. The entrance bears nothing but a sign reading ‘Private Property’; intentionally non-descript for the discretion of the high-profile guests. The property has been hosting notable names like Errol Flynn, and Truman Capote since it was former estate of Ian Fleming (where the spy scribe wrote the James Bond thrillers), and not much has changed since the property was taken over by local legend Chris Blackwell (the founder of Island Records who brought Bob Marley to the masses.

Don’t let the high-end clientele lead you into thinking this is a traditional five-star stuffy resort. Goldeneye is decidedly welcoming, with a laid-back vibe. The rooms themselves are a cluster of eclectic oceanfront and lagoon facing huts, cottages and villas.  The style is boho chic with an understated luxury: colorful robes in the room are surprisingly soft and it is only when they check in the island outpost shop do you realize they are hand dyed batik robes that retail for $300 USD. And those aren’t the only surprises: The spa can be reached via kayak on the lagoon, and the hotels’ Gazebo restaurant is only accessible by crossing a suspension bridge.

Overall, we fell in love with this gem of a property and can't wait to go back. 

Just Back From: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Property Type: All Inclusive Ranch Experience

Destination: Philipsburg, Montana

Getting There: Closest Airport is Missoula, Montana, which is around 1.5 hours from the Ranch by car (transfers are included in your rate). Best connections are via Denver or Salt Lake City.

Who is it for? Anyone who appreciates the outdoors, good food, comfy beds and wonderful, warm service. Perfect for families, multi-generational groups, boys/girls trips, reunions, couples, friends, weddings.

Our Take:

The Ranch is a fabulous spot to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with yourself, the outdoors and those around you (loved ones, friends, etc).

The level of service and personalization begins before you even depart for your trip. Upon confirming my stay, I was sent a pre-arrival questionnaire that asked me everything from my dietary preferences to activities I was interested in and my shoe size (they have a fully stocked outfitter on property with everything you could possibly need to participate in any of their activities).  

Guests are also welcome to borrow cowboy boots for the duration of their stay! 

The Rod & Gun Club - all this and more is available for guests to borrow and use during their stay. 

The ranch is a fully inclusive property. This means that not only  are all your food and beverages included, but all activities run by the ranch are too. This covers everything from the various shooting ranges (clay, target, pistol, shotgun, etc), horseback riding experiences, snowmobiling, fly fishing, yoga,  hiking, sledding, snowshoeing, archery, etc – all led by very experienced guides, many of whom are local to Montana. In the winter months, they even include skiing at the nearby Discovery mountain for any guests staying more than 4 nights. 

As a Relais and Chateau, Forbes 5 diamond property – Food, wine and service are also integral to the Ranch’s offering. Meals are incredibly fresh and made up of as much locally sourced products as possible. The ranch is so focused on the quality of their food that they have multiple kitchens around the property – one in each of the locations where they host meals, so that they can ensure that the food is served as soon as it’s prepared.  Breakfast and Lunch are a la carte and there are enough options to satisfy anyone’s preferences (and if you can’t find something you like, they are more than willing to accommodate alternative requests!) Depending on the night, dinner is either served in the dining room, where the chef will offer a multi-course tasting menu (always making accommodations for dietary preferences) or in one of the Ranch’s alternative dining locations ie: Saturday’s dinner is a more casual affair, hosted in the “barn”, along with live music and a barn dance for those that want to participate!

My favorite social gathering spot by far was the Silver Dollar Saloon. Between the authentic saddle bar stools, pool tables, a multi-lane bowling alley, karaoke machine, and screening room, this place has something for everyone and really is the perfect spot to enjoy a night cap or party the night away with friends, family and loved ones.

One of the cozy spots in the great room

Bowling Alley in the Saloon

In terms of accommodations, I was blown away by the variety of options the ranch has to offer – each of which was more beautiful and impressive than the next. The attention to detail, authenticity and personality given to the accommodations was just incredible.  There are four main types of accommodations offered at the Ranch:  1. Lodge Rooms2. Log Homes3. Canvas Tents4. Barn Suites.

There truly is something for everyone here. Log cabins have anywhere from 3 to 5 bedrooms and come complete with full kitchens, en suite bathrooms, common areas and some have hot tubs. The canvas tents are beyond stunning and most of them are situated on a riverbed, offering beautiful views of the water that runs through the property. Tents all come with multiple bedding options, which easily would allow for families with children to stay in one together.

The barn suites are also incredible – one of which features 3 sets of bunkbeds, along with a common area and a bathroom with two showers – an amazing option for large families (the parents can stay upstairs in a master suite, with the most stunning bathroom,) or also a great option for girls/guys weekends.

I loved each room I saw more than the next and could not get over the attention to detail and amazing touches that went into the design of each of them.

Stunning Canvas tents with wood burning stoves.

A master bedroom in one of the barn suites. 

Bunkbeds in the barn - perfect for families or groups!

Stunning bathroom in the barn suite

As someone who enjoys being active, there was no shortage of activities to participate in. I have included some pictures below to show just how much we did in our short stay (2 days). 

I would not hesitate to recommend the Ranch at Rock Creek to anyone who is looking to have a holiday that combines luxury accommodations and food with top notch outdoor activities and adventures. I particularly think it's the perfect place for larger groups and multi-generational families - i couldn't imagine a more fun spot to spend time with friends and loved ones. 

Postcard From: Punta Mita

We LOVE when our clients take the time to share feedback with us following their travels. Not only does this help us gain vital information and insight that we use when designing their subsequent adventures, but it also allows us to ensure that the properties and partners we work closely with continue to deliver on the quality and service level we expect from them.  

We almost always learn something new about a property or destination when our clients return - whether it's a hidden gem restaurant, a great tip about the property, or a "must do" activity - we take note of them all and add them to our arsenal of tips, tricks and recommendations for future trips to that spot. 

Kristen and her family recently spent their summer holiday at the Four Seasons Punta Mita - here was her take: 

We had an amazing trip to Punta Mita!  The property is gorgeous and service was excellent.  Here’s some highlights and good to know for you items!

Highlights:

• Views/sunset spectacular – feels more Hawaii like
• Infinity pool one of most beautiful as it is set up on the bluff overlooking ocean
• Rooms are a great size and we comfortably fit the four of us in a king bed, pull out, and cot – granted we were in the room only to sleep
• Service was among the best we have experienced at FS resort
• Very easy to take a short taxi ride to restaurants off property.  It was low season so we didn’t need to plan to far ahead but I imagine in winter this takes some planning to have reservations!
• Kids club – great as always.  Kids had a great time there with all the different crafts.  Pinata party was the highlight!  There was also a separate game room with video games, air hockey, pool table, etc. huge hit!
•  Did the complimentary kayak tour which was awesome!  Took us around the corner to a private beach and showed us all the different animal tracks.  Ed’s mom also did the history lecture which she enjoyed.
• Sea Turtle release was really fun!  Kids loved participating in this activity!

Good to Know: 

• Beach chairs – very strange policy that you can reserve chairs at the beach for your entire stay once you arrive.  You simply need to show up by 1030am to check in for them.  It took us a couple days to figure this out.  Not our favorite approach to this as we find FS tends to have plenty of chairs and people naturally rotate to other areas of the resort freeing chairs on a regular basis.  That said at least we still avoid people putting stuff on chairs at 7am to save chairs at both pool and beach.
• Pool – limited number of chairs have shade by the pool.  These always go first and in our first days there we couldn’t get chairs in the shade at *any* point in the day which was very frustrating.  There are lots and lots of chairs at the edge of the pool in direct sun with no umbrellas.  They told us they were at 98% capacity for the rooms that were available (not being renovated) which makes us think this has to be miserable at full occupancy.  People want shade so why not add umbrellas?
• Pool/Lazy river very deep – our five year old couldn’t touch so even though he is a good swimmer we didn’t feel comfortable not being within arm’s reach since the pool is so large and their was a current in the lazy river.
• Boat excursions are not terribly easy here.  They have motor boat to take you out snorkeling but then you either have to charter a sail boat or drive back to Puerta Vallarta for a group excursion.  We opted for the charter which was beautiful and the crew was great! Sadly, many of us were sea sick.  Ha!  Certainly memorable!

Overall really no complaints!  We’d certainly go back in the future especially if they will be adding a direct flight from BOS.  For now though, we’re definitely exploring Anguilla, or perhaps somewhere far flung such as Bora Bora.  Never too soon to start planning the next one!