Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, Arizona

You can't compare Four Seasons to any other hotel brand - they are above and beyond spectacular in every way. Continuing on the Arizona trip with Visit Phoenix and a most amazing group of ladies, we headed to the Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale. The Scottsdale property is so integrated into the landscape that you couldn't feel any closer unless you were sleeping with the cacti (no thanks!). The desert vistas are home to me, but add in the mouthwatering steak and seafood at Talavera (which has the BEST SUNSET VIEW in Scottsdale), drinks, mini spa treatments, yoga on the lawn, and stargazing with a pro astronomer? I was most definitely NOT at home and it made for a memorable weekend.

The guest rooms are in casitas that gaze out at the Arizona terrain, which is nearly silent at night. And the interiors reflect what I'd want my dream Arizona home to look like - a cozy fireplace and a palette of desert pinks, purples, and oranges. I love so many of the Scottsdale hotels, but this one reflects the Arizona I love the most in its layout and design. Plus we spotted Giada de Laurentiis getting her hair done in the salon before her book signing in Kierland Commons!

The best time of day

I miss these ladies!

Entrance to my room

Loved all these paths through the resort

Arizona PerfectionSo many great views! Caught a beautiful weddingThe lobby at nightLobby during the dayCan't wait to go back when I'm home

Sunday Brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel New York

My longtime beau and I had a fabulous wedding cake tasting yesterday. Truly delicious & not too sweet lemon raspberry wedding cake.  Not for us! But we were invited to help celebrate the Marriage Equality Act passing in New York City and all marriages now being legal in the state. 

At Sunday brunch, we toasted this historic moment with a few other writers.   The Four Seasons Hotel New York has launched a "Dreams Do Come True" wedding package, featuring The Garden restaurant as wedding venue, where we enjoyed brunch.  It's a space that doesn't need much decoration, given the soaring ceilings and proximity to the I.M. Pei-designed lobby. 

Who doesn't love drooling over gorgeous food photos?  The restaurant sources 80% of its ingredients locally, shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket and Esposito Sausages in Hell's Kitchen.

Let me start with the mini-wedding cake.  Looking at the photo now, I want to dig into that slice all over again.

We started brunch with mini cinnamon sugar donuts with a sprinkling of sea salt.  I asked Executive Chef Anthony Zamora which brand of sea salt he uses and he said, without hesitation, "Maldon." Maldon is my favorite too! It's an English sea salt that is truly the best.  Each crunchy flake melts in your mouth.  And it's Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite salt too. 

Cinnamon Sugar DonutsBellinis with white peach puree, champagne, and Bloody Mary's were flowing.  This is a flight of Bloody Mary's, where you can try each variety: spicy, truffle & pickled.  Spicy won by a landslide.

Blueberry & raspberry crumble pancakes were served alongside lemon ricotta pancakes, which were equally heavenly on the pancake scale.  There was crumble actually baked into the pancake.

Wild Atlantic salmon from Sitka, Alaska with summer squash and a zucchini puree

Delicious smoked chicken hash with local corn, roasted potatoes and a perfect poached egg. Nothing like that first ooze of egg.

More information about the "Dreams Do Come True" package can be found here.  I love that the first two nights of your honeymoon are paid for if it's booked at any other Four Seasons around the world.

The Spa at Four Seasons Costa Rica

I finally found an amazing chiropractor here in New York, Dr. JoAnn Weinrib. I call her a miracle worker, however, she doesn't take any health insurance, so I have to space out my visits to her.

When I went to Four Seasons Costa Rica, I hadn't seen Dr. Weinrib in months and chose to book the Rainforest Aromatherapy Massage at the Spa to soothe my back.  The spa touts a "personal journey of discovery," starting with the entrance to its natural wood and beige locker rooms and long plunge pool overlooking the beach.

I was excited to pick an essential oil to be used during the massage, along with which type of music I wanted to listen to (the Asian mix was perfect).  By the time the treatment was over, I was convinced the therapist had healing hands just like Dr. Weinrib at home in New York.

The spa menu is extensive, making it tough to choose what your indulgence will be.  Men have their own list of services, including a back facial, something I wouldn't want to be in the room for.  There's a caviar facial, a massage 101 class for couples, or alternative treatments like full-body rebalancing or even Ear Candling!  The fitness room near the spa was completely state-of-the-art. 

Spa Pool

Spa Waiting Area

So Fabulous, I'm Jealous of Myself: Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica

In December, I was invited on a trip to the stunning Four Seasons Costa Rica. It was six degrees when I left my New York apartment for Costa Rica. 

Do you ever have moments where you are jealous of yourself?  Leaving my apartment for Costa Rica was one of them and every other moment I spent at this resort on Peninsula Papagayo was better than the last.  I don't say this lightly.  The property, in one powerful word, is heavenly.  I was most jealous of myself when I got to my room...okay...villa...and saw this plunge pool!

From New York, I flew to Atlanta and then directly to Liberia, Costa Rica.  The name "Liberia" may conjure up thoughts of third-world countries, but any preconceived notions I had were proven dead wrong.  My travel experience was smoother than most domestic trips I've taken.  I arrived in Costa Rica just as the "green" (rainy) season had transitioned into the "gold" (sunny) season.  I had expected a stifling humidity and instead enjoyed warm and breezy perfection.

By the end of my visit, I felt like I was leaving old friends.  The charming Luis Argote, GM of the property, said that the "staff is our treasure and our soul" and that they are "completely obsessed with guest experience."  This was proven over and over on my visit. 

Though the property is most definitely a Four Seasons, with every amenity and sophistication the brand brings, the native decor was completely Costa Rican.  I was able to explore the pool area (the resort also offers an adult-only pool), two beautiful beaches, and relaxing tropical restaurants.

Outside of my villa

Treehouse LivingWhile guest rooms at the resort all begin at a spacious 600 square feet, the villas like mine perched over the trees with private plunge pools are sublime.  I immediately felt like a kid again, thinking that I was staying in THE coolest treehouse ever!  The New Yorker in me drooled over the large kitchen and washer/dryer, huge closet and bathroom, the chic bedroom and living area, and private outdoor shower, never a step away from the gorgeous view.  I could have stayed in the plunge pool staring at the Pacific Ocean and listening to the howling monkeys all day long.

But the resort offers more than a few ways to design your day.  I chose to book the Rainforest Aromatherapy Massage, and by the time it was over I was convinced the therapist had healing hands.  And I’m the furthest thing from a golfer, but I can recognize a first-class course.  Here, you can take a tour of the course even if you have no intention of picking up a club and snap photos of the unbelievable views and native trees.

The Signature Golf Hole at the courseI also putzed around the Tuanis Teen Center and had flashes of my 17-year-old self meeting a new crush on vacation a la High School Musical while lounging by the flat-screen TV and computers. There’s also a fabulous children’s program, with treasure hunts, and sand castle building (which inspired me to build my own sand castle).

I didn’t have one bad meal on property, from ordering room service on my balcony at 7 a.m. with bright blue ocean views to classic linguine alla carbonara at Di Mare, the resort’s upcale Italian restaurant.  I loved the Costa Rican touches at the restaurants,  like a side dish of Gallo Pinte offered with most meals and special local hot sauces to try. Gallo Pinto is a signature local dish, with rice, black beans, and seasonings that locals love to eat for breakfast.  I also tried to end each night with a drink at Tico's, the outdoor lobby bar.  The warmth and breezy Costa Rican air was the perfect backdrop for an after-dinner mojito.

Breakfast on the balconyAs much as I loved the property, I think it's important to leave to see a bit more of the country.  I started with a ziplining jungle canopy tour just outside the resort entrance, with 11 different lines to zip on.  After I got over the “going to throw up” feeling of terror, I really loved zipping through the jungle like a monkey. Another morning was spent driving out to a local school, Guardia, and participating in part of the Four Seasons Costa Rica's community outreach program.  As we were giving the school a first coat of new paint, the kids gave me Silly Bandz and loved posing for my camera.

My personal favorite activity was taking a half-day excursion through the “Land of Sabaneros,” or “Land of Cowboys,” with small towns peppered throughout the expansive ranches and sugar cane fields.  Our tour guide, Geovanny Solorzano with Swiss Travel, was one of the best I've ever had, keeping us laughing through a coffee plantation tour and tour of Guaitil, famous for its pottery.  Leaving for a tour gave the Four Seasons experience a distinctive sense of place and depth of cultural immersion.  The Costa Ricans have an oft-repeated slogan, "Pura Vida," or "Pure Life."  If you ask them how they're doing, they'll respond with "Pura Vida."  From the monkeys howling at me during my outdoor shower, to learning excursions, unbelievable foodie experiences, and truly content staff, The Four Seasons Costa Rica has created "Pura Vida" in every detail. And it was easier for me to get to than Los Angeles.

Dining on the Golf Course