Winter Park, Florida is located just north of Orlando and is excited for the opening of the city’s newest luxury hotel – The Alfond Inn.

The Alfond Inn is a new luxurious, boutique hotel that was designed for both visitors and the community of Winter Park, Florida. The hotel is schedule to open later this month on August 18, 2013.

Owned by Rollins College, a private coeducational liberal arts college in Winter Park, The Alfond Inn was built with a $12.5-million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation. Net operating income from the Inn will endow The Alfond Scholars program.

It’s nice to see The Alfond Inn’s philanthropic goals. The Rollins College’s premier scholarship fund offers full scholarships and provides additional financial aid to deserving students. Income will be directed to the fund over the next 25 years or until the endowment principal reaches $50 million, whichever comes later.

The Alfond Inn is destined to become the new hub and place to stay in dynamic Winter Park. The New York Times recently called the boutique hotel “a sophisticated alternative to Disney.”

Guests who stay at Boutique Hotel The Alfond Inn will enjoy one of the 112-guest rooms in a variety of floorplan layouts – from comfortable Classic Kings to a majestic Presidential Suite. All guest rooms come equipped with complimentary High Speed Wireless Internet Access, iPod docking stations and flat
screen televisions, as well as over-sized workstations.

For planning those off-site business meets or special occasions, The Inn also offers over 10,000 square feet of meeting space, a grand Ballroom and will open Hamilton’s Kitchen, a new restaurant with a Floridian-inspired menu.

Guests of The Alfond Inn will have access to the hotel’s fitness center and pool. The Alfond Inn is also pet friendly, welcoming dogs in designated pet-friendly rooms and suites. Pets can expect water bowls, a doggy gift basket and signature treats at turndown.

The Alfond Inn is pleases to announce they are offering introductory “Welcome Rates” that can’t be beat. Prices begin at only $99 per night, based on double occupancy, and are good through September 30, 2013.

If you would like to book a travel reservation to stay at the new boutique hotel – The Alfond Inn and visit many of Florida’s attractions, please contact The Life of Luxury.

Man’s best friend is being pampered like never before. Our beloved pet dogs are becoming further entrenched into our family lives, including social outings and even vacations that are pet friendly.

Approximately 1/5 of travelers take their pets with them on trips, according to the U.S. Travel Association. To meet this growing trend, several hotels and destinations are beginning to cater to these traveling dogs with special pet friendly offerings and packages.

We want to highlight three pet friendly hotels and destinations that are rolling out the doggie red carpet this summer.

It’s time for some extra special, pooch pampering. Your pet dog can now enjoy personalized amenities, gourmet meals and even luxurious spa treatments!

Waldorf Astoria Chicago
The luxurious Waldorf Astoria Chicago hotel is located in the heart of Chicago’s fashionable Gold Coast and recently
launched its Waldorf Woof program. This summer, the pet friendly luxury hotel has partnered with the chic dog boutique Tails in the City to provide guests and their dogs with a doggie picnic to enjoy in one of the nearby parks. The picnic basket includes a portable dog bowl and gourmet hand-baked dog treats (with designs such as “I Heart Chicago”).
Rates from $395/night.

Sea Island, Georgia
A Forbes Five-Star destination resort located on the coast of Georgia, Sea Island offers something for everyone, including man’s best friend. In addition to doggie bowls, treats and pets that are provided for all four-legged guests, dog amenities available for purchase include Sea Island’s signature dog shampoo and an a la carte gourmet pet menu with organic selections prepared by room service chefs including Crazy Dog (Beef Tips braised in Veal Essence with White Rice), or for a more health-conscious pooch, the Healthy Gracie (Slow cooked Turkey, Brown Rice and Local Vegetables). For the Dog Days of Summer (through August), the pet friendly Spa at Sea Island hotel offers special weekly classes which range from doggie boot camp to pet aromatherapy.
Rates from $395/night.

Gansevoort Hotel Group
Gansevoort Park Avenue and Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC, two of Manhattan’s sleekest and most stylish hotels, is the see-and-be-seen spot for travelers and pets alike. Both hotels are offering a “Pampering Your Pooch” package for $125, which includes premium dog treats and toys from the Barking Zoo dog boutique, as well as a dog collar tag that reads “I’m staying at the Gansevoort.” Guests can also choose to purchase additional amenities, including personalized dog beds and mats.
Rates from $395.

St. Pete/Clearwater, Florida
St. Petersburg/Clearwater boasts 361 days of sunshine per year and some of America’s most exquisite beaches, including the award-winning Fort De Soto Park, Clearwater Beach and Caladesi Island State Park. Unlike many other “no dogs allowed” Florida beaches, Fort De Soto Park has one of the only dog parks where dogs are allowed on the beach in a designated area. At the Loews Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach, dogs can take advantage of a gourmet room service menu and massages by a professional canine massage therapist. The TradeWinds Island Grand boasts a Pet Play Zone with doggie drinking fountain and fire hydrants, as well as a Sit. Stay. Play Pet Package which includes pet amenities galore, New Barker Magazine, gourmet treats and choice of meals from the Paw Court Bistro room service menu. St. Pete/Clearwater also has numerous pet-friendly restaurants, including Cassis American Brasserie in downtown St. Petersburg, which serves up unique doggie dishes such as “Mutt”loaf, Pup Monsieur and Bark de Triumph.

If you are interested in learning more about these pet friendly hotels, the please contact The Life of Luxury and we will be glad to help book your next vacation.

It’s the best kept secret, but Andre’s cigar lounge at the the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas is the city’s only cigar lounge that’s connected to a Vegas Strip resort restaurant.

Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge can be found on the second floor of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This unique Sin City establishment offers a collection of more than 140 Cognacs, Armagnacs and Scotches plus premium fine cigars.

The impressive Andre’s collection is the largest in all of Las Vegas and is ranked third in North America based on size alone.

This exclusive destination was originally created to serve as a unique place for cigar aficionados who long desired a place on the world famous Las Vegas Strip. They simply wanted somewhere to go and enjoy their smoke and take in all the ambiance of an incredible, luxurious atmosphere.

The Cigar Lounge opened in 1996 along with the award-winning, AAA Four Diamond restaurant. But due to its limited awareness, Andre’s Cigar Lounge is considered a “hidden gem” by many in the hospitality industry.

The signature Cigar Lounge collection of fine cigars includes their most popular seller – the Montecristo No. 2. Another popular cigar is the Padron 80th anniversary 1926 Perfecto. Hand-rolled treasures also include Fuente OpusX and Ashton VSG.

To complete your unique cigar experience, Andre’s Cognac Specialist Patrick Trundle is available to pair cigar choices with the Cognac, Armagnac and single-malt scotch/scotch whiskey selections.

The vast collection of Cognac, Armagnac and Scotch are available by the half pour, glass or bottle, with some of these great tasting spirits dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

The highlight of the collection is Chef Andre’s series of vintage Cognacs from the Jacques Hardy Private Reserves. (In fact, Chef André’s cognac collection contains the largest selection of Hardy Cognac outside the family’s collection.) This exquisite series includes the Jacques Hardy Cognac, Private Reserve, Vintage 1777 priced at $35,000 per bottle. (This is one of four bottles left in the world.)

The intimate and relaxing lounge comfortably seats 36 guests and is also equipped with a state-of-the-art ventilation system enabling cigar aficionados to enjoy their evening without the smoke disrupting nearby dining guests. Furthermore, non-smokers can enjoy the lounge as well thanks to the area’s separate ventilation and air filtration system.

Consider enjoying a fine dining experience with celebrated chef André Rochat qwho has enhanced his AAA Four Diamond restaurant – Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at Monte Carlo. Honored with a prestigious Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, ther is an encyclopedic wine list that boasts more than 1,500 selections and an inventory of more than 12,000 bottles.

To get more information about Andre’s Cigar Lounge in Las Vegas or to make travel reservations to visit Sin City, please contact The Life of Luxury.

Colorado offers avid golf lovers greater than 250 golf courses. It’s a diverse mix of championship golf courses for players of all levels, including: meticulously landscaped municipal courses to resort courses and semi-private and private golf clubs.

For a true Rocky Mountain High, Colorado is home to Mount Massive Golf Club. Located 9,640 feet above sea level, it’s the highest-elevation golf course in the U.S. Elevation is a big part of the golf experience in Colorado, as many of Colorado’s golf courses are found at 7,000 feet above sea level and higher.

Golfers love the high Hence altitude of playing golf in Colorado. It’s a big advantage to players who are
looking for an extra edge, since drives off the tee in Colorado will travel higher and anywhere from 10-20 percent farther than courses at sea level.

Here is a summary of golf courses across Colorado that showcase the best of the mountains, valleys, rivers and more.

Club at Crested Butte
Set across 160 acres of lakes, aspen trees and mountaintops, the Club at Crested Butte features the Robert Trent Jones Jr. course, designed and named after the world-renowned course architect. The private course offers public tee times and golf for players of all ages and skill levels with five sets of tees to provide both a challenge and an opportunity for learning. Known for its championship-quality fairways and greens, the course is a hidden gem in the Elk Mountain Range.

Hillcrest Golf Club
Established in 1969, Hillcrest Golf Club overlooks the historic town of Durango in Southwestern Colorado. The Club boasts an affordable greens fee of just $36 for 18 holes and a relaxed atmosphere with spectacular views of the Colorado Rockies. Hillcrest Golf Club offers a full-size driving range and an additional short game practice facility for warm-up and leisure. With a relatively short distance from tees to greens, many golfers enjoy walking the course and taking in the views.

Mount Massive Golf Course
At 9,640 feet, Mount Massive Golf Course is the highest-elevation golf course in America. Just a short drive from the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway, the course provides magnificent views of the state’s highest mountains. With a laid-back atmosphere, well-maintained grounds and affordable prices, golfers can take in the views and play the course with rates of $22 for nine holes and $38 for 18 holes for walkers.

The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa
In 2010, Colorado Golf Magazine named Redlands Mesa the No. 1 public golf course in Colorado, highlighting its “majestic terrain and visual splendor.” At the base of the Colorado National Monument, the 18-hole Redlands Mesa presents players with 11 elevated tees, 41 bunkers and a true championship layout. From golf pros to novices, Redlands Mesa offers amenities for learning the game or perfecting skills with qualified PGA Professionals and a full length driving range open all year.

Pole Creek Golf Club
At 8,600 feet above sea level, Pole Creek Golf Club is one of the highest 27-hole courses in North America with breathtaking views of the Continental Divide. The course’s designer, Denis Griffiths, incorporated valley meadows, sagebrush and water hazards including five lakes to create a diverse course and challenging play. Just this year, Colorado Avid Golfer Magazine’s People’s Choice CAGGY Awards voted Pole Creek Golf Club the No. 1 Mountain Course noting its wide-range appeal and stunning scenery.

Garden of the Gods Club
A challenging 27-hole classic golf course, Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods Club provides members and guests with bunkered greens, towering pines and landscaping highlighting the lush mountain range. The 50-year old course was designed by J. Press Maxwell and Mark Rathert and is separated into three nine-hole courses. The club also offers a driving range and practice facilities as well as personalized golf instruction from the PGA professional staff.

Ballyneal Golf Club
A private, destination course, Ballyneal Golf Club offers one of the truest forms of authentic links golf in the country. Designed by architect Tom Doak, the walking only course allows golfers to take in the vast, open landscape of the Northeastern Colorado High Plains. Ballyneal Golf Club has been recognized by Golf Magazine as No. 46 on the list of Top 100 Courses in the United States.

Solheim Cup
On August 13-18, The Solheim Cup, the biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition, comes to Parker, Colorado to feature the best players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the Ladies European Tour (LET). Held every two years since 1990, the event has become one of the most prestigious international women’s professional golf team events. The American team has never lost the competition on United States soil and will be looking to take back the cup after a 2011 loss in Ireland.

To learn more about Colorado’s best golf courses or to book a trip, please contact The Life of Luxury to make your reservations.

Photo: Joann Dost / Silverado Resort and Spa

The championship North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa was voted one of Golf Week’s “Top 100 Resort Courses” and will now host the 2014 Frys.com Open.

Located in beautiful Napa California, the luxury resort is owned by golf legend Johnny Miller who was quoted, “We are thrilled to host the season opening PGA TOUR tournament on our iconic property.”

The 2014 Frys.com Open golf tournament is scheduled will for October 6-12, 2014 and is now in its eighth year. The Frys.com Open heads up the new, reconfigured 2013-2014 PGA TOUR schedule at CordeValle Golf Club and runs from October 7-13, 2013.

The four-day golf tournament is the opening event of the PGA TOUR season and will feature a full-field of 132 players, who will all be vying for a $5 million purse and $900,000 payout to the winner.

The luxurious Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa promises a grand lineup of exceptional golf on their 18-hole par-72 Robert Trent-Jones designed North Course, which was renovated in 2011 by Johnny Miller. For many years, golf pros and amateurs have enjoyed this gorgeous golf course that sprawl across 360 acres and features dozens of water crossings, elevation changes, and routing through oak, pine, and redwood trees.

Silverado Resort and Spa started as a private estate and was converted into a contemporary resort featuring 390 guest rooms, a 15,000-square foot conference space, two PGA championship golf courses and two signature restaurants. Now this luxury resort has been a California landmark for more than 140 years.

The PGA TOUR and Champions Tour are no strangers to Silverado. The resort’s two golf courses have combined to host 28 Professional Tournaments, that includes: the 1968-1976 Kaiser International Open Invitational; the 1977-1980 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic; and the 1989-2002 Senior PGA “The Transamerica” event, featuring such legends as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, and Silverado’s own Johnny Miller.

Johnny Miller also stated, “Our North Course is amongst the most challenging and beautiful courses in the state, and over the last two years the Troon team and I have ensured the playing experience is superior in every way.”

The Frys.com Open will be televised worldwide on the Golf Channel during all four days of the prestigious pro golf tournament.

To learn more about the Silverado Resort and Spa or the upcoming 2014 Frys.com Open golf tournament, please contact The Life of Luxury.

Fine dining in Las Vegas has now elevated its foodie game from simply formal restaurant sit-downs to unforgettable, interactive gourmet experiences!

For years, Las Vegas was known for mainly offering only gambling and raunchy shows. But time has changed all that and today Las Vegas is a mega entertainment capital with glitzy resort casinos, 24×7 gaming action, incredible stage shows and world-class dining.

Three of Las Vegas’ most iconic resorts – Bellagio, Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay are now offering amazing dining activities that prove to be the highlight for any foodie vacation.

Quickly growing as a new hot trend, we want to share several exciting examples of experiential foodie activities that you don’t want to miss while in Las Vegas:

* VIP Private Cooking Lesson at Mandalay Bay’s Aureole:
M life members can learn to cook in the style of celebrity chef Charlie Palmer through an exclusive package that includes a private cooking lesson with Aureole Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel at Mandalay Bay, a multi-course lunch with wine pairings and a tour of Aureole’s famous Wine Tower. This M life Moment is available to loyal members of the Platinum Tier and higher.

* Bellagio’s An Executive Chef’s Culinary Classroom:
Instead of just taking home leftovers, tourists can now order Las Vegas’ award-winning culinary skills to-go at Bellagio’s new An Executive Chef’s Culinary Classroom. Executive Chef Edmund Wong shares his cooking secrets as he personally instructs up to 15 guests through the preparation of a three-course meal inside the state-of-the-art Tuscany Kitchen. The newly trained chefs get to enjoy the fruits of their labor as they indulge in the cuisine they made during an intimate food and wine pairing dinner.

* Cicerone Dinners at Mandalay Bay:
Nevada’s first female cicerone, Sarah Johnson, is enlightening fine-dining connoisseurs about the versatility beer can offer to a high-end meal through her series of beer pairing dinners across Mandalay Bay’s acclaimed restaurants such as Fleur by Hubert Keller.. During the dinners, Johnson walks guests through her five-course beer-pairing menu that complements the restaurants’ celebrated cuisine.

* Art & Wine – A Perfect Pairing at Bellagio:
An innovative night combining the culinary and visual arts, guests enjoy Bellagio’s award-winning wine collection paired with art from “Warhol Out West,” the largest Andy Warhol collection ever exhibited in Las Vegas. Hosted by Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art Director Tarissa Tiberti and Master Sommelier Jason Smith, Art & Wine nights take place the first Wednesday of every month.

* Gus’ Beer & Bites Dinner Series at Monte Carlo:
The Pub at Monte Carlo recently premiered its monthly Beer & Bites dinner series, which pairs a renowned brewery with Executive Chef Tim Radigan’s upscale take on pub-style eats for a fun and lively dinner. The Pub will welcome famed Boston Beer Company Wednesday, August 28 to feature its 2013 Sam Adams collection for a unique dining experience.

* Mixology Training & Tasting at Monte Carlo:
As part of MGM Resorts’ loyalty rewards program M life<http://www.mlife.com/>, Monte Carlo’s Director of Beverage Michael MacDonnell teaches small groups of guests the fine art and history of mixology in a two-hour tasting session at the classic-cocktail-driven Hit Bar & Lounge. This M life Moment is available to all members; M life is free to join.

* Bellagio’s Epicurean Epicenter:
During this special event, guests fill the high-tech Tuscany Kitchen to interact with one of Bellagio’s celebrated chefs such as Todd English and Jean-Georges Vongerichten as they cook a multicourse meal paired with wines provided from a world-class vineyard. Differentiating from other pairing dinners, at Epicurean Epicenter the showcased wines are selected first. Then, one of Bellagio’s talented chefs creates innovative dishes to complement the beverage resulting in outstanding flavor combinations. On Saturday, July 6, Epicurean Epicenter brings back the popular “Beer & BBQ Secrets” dinner where Bellagio Executive Chef Edmond Wong demonstrates the secrets behind gourmet barbecuing along with immaculate beer pairings.

If you would like additional information about these new interactive gourmet experiences or ready to book your travel reservation to Las Vegas, please contact The Life of Luxury using the below form:

The luxurious Harbour Village Beach Club is located in the Dutch Antilles within an exclusive beachfront enclave on a four-acre, private peninsula on Bonaire.

The amazing island of Bonaire can be found just eighty-six miles east of Aruba and provides endless sunshine and low rainfall. Bonaire has been designated as having the most pristine coral reef environment and most species of fish in the Caribbean by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

The Harbour Village Beach Club has often been referred as “the best kept secret” in the Caribbean since some of the world’s best diving and underwater landscapes can be found nearby.

The Caribbean’s premier dive and beach resort, Harbour Village Beach Club is a beachfront oasis that makes vacationing effortless.

The resort is located on a four-acre private peninsula with well-appointed private villas nestled amid lush tropical gardens, a white sand beach, and outstanding amenities that include an onsite First Class 5 Star PADI Dive Center catering to all skill levels and dive sites just off its shore.

Bonaire diving packages are available for both non-certified and certified divers. These include the exclusive “Dive into Luxury” package, featuring a 7-night stay in a luxurious 1- or 2-bedroom suite; full American breakfast daily; six 1-tank boat dives and unlimited shore diving; unlimited use of the resort’s fitness center, tennis courts and kayaks; and airport transfers to and from Harbour Village.

Harbour Village Beach Club offers 30 luxurious guest rooms and suites, a private white-sand beach, onsite PADI 5 Star Dive and Water Sports Center, private 64-slip marina, beachfront restaurant, full-service spa,
lighted tennis courts, beachside and cascade pools, fitness center, supervised children’s programs, complimentary wireless Internet and a wealth of other premium amenities.

In addition, Harbour Village features one of the island’s finest restaurants – La Balandra Restaurant. This fine dining establishment was designed after an antique Spanish ship, La Balandra
and creates a feeling of sailing. The restaurant’s dining deck is located on a jetty that extends out to sea and offers beach service, along with candlelight dining on the beach.

Make your reservations now to enjoy the best diving and snorkeling experiences in the Caribbean. Contact The Life of Luxury using the form below to learn more about visiting Bonaire’s Harbour Village Beach Club.

Photo: ET3

For those that make the long drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles would love to find a way to cut their travel time way down. Maybe there is hope on the way from Telsa and its Hyperloop technology.

Hyperloop is a promising high-speed transportation system that could make long distance road travel actually bearable. It’s a tube transportation system that utilizes technology similar to what you can find at a bank.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the driving force behind both Tesla Motors and SpaceX. He now has a dream to develop high-speed system traveling that would allow passengers to travel at high speeds. This sounds like something from the old The Jetsons cartoon or even the speeder bikes seen in Star Wars.

The company leading the development is ET3 (Evacuated Tube Transport) and they are located in Longmont, Colorado. The have coined their exciting new technology project – the Evacuated Tube Transport. Travel time between and S.F and L.A. could be as little as 30 minutes! An L.A. to East Coast trip could theoretically be only an hour!!

Earlier projections consist of an automobile-sized capsule that could hold up to six-passengers. Traveling up to speeds of 4,000 miles per hour would make journeys across the U.S or even continents possible. What is amazing to comprehend is that the cost for the elevated tube system would be significantly less than today’s high-speed rail or building a freeway. Estimated costs for for a passenger to travel between New York and L.A. would be only $100.

The best way to describe the proposed technology is an elevated tube system that consists of a magnetic levitation system like what high-speed bullet trains use. These tubes can then be connected to create a futuristic superhighway all across the United States.

California is forging ahead with a $70 billion budget cost for their new high-speed rail project. Could Hyperloop from Evacuated Tube Transport make this huge project obsolete? Bets estimate today is a San Francisco to L.A. trip is done in three hours versus only 30 minutes.

The next big step is going from the drawing board of schematics to actually building a prototype. ET3 is currently working on a plan to build a 3-mile test run by the end of this year.

The popular Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy is not only Rome’s largest Baroque fountain, but also recognized as the city’s most beautiful one.

Trevi Fountain has origins that date back to ancient Roman times, when it was the terminal point of Rome’s aqueduct – Aqua Virgo – constructed in 19 BC. Aqua Virgo translates to “the Virgins Water.”

Trevi Fountain, or locally known as Fontana di Trevi, dominates quaint Trevi Square which is located in the Quirinale district.

In 1730, Pope Clement XII originally held a competition for a fountain design that would cover the whole back wall of the Palazzo Poli. In 1732, then Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square.

It took 30 years, but the beautiful fountain was finally completed. Die to the long construction timeline, three different popes served the Catholic church – Clement XII, Benedict XIV and Clement XIII.

Trevi Fountain was officially unveiled on May 22, 1732 and has been a popular Roman attraction ever since.

The primary figure of Trevi Fountain is Neptune, the god of the sea. Neptune rides a chariot that’s shaped like a shell and is pulled by two sea horses. A Triton guides each of the sea horses. The water at the bottom of the gorgeous fountain represents the sea. The statue on the right hand side of Neptune represents Salubrity. On the left is a statue that represents Abundance.

If you do visit Rome and see Trevi Fountain, you must follow the long standing tradition of tossing a coin into the fountain’s water. Legend has it that he or she who throws a coin over your shoulder with your back to the fountain …. will one day will come back in Rome.

Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

To make reservations to visit Rome Italy and see the world famous Trevi Fountain, please contact The Life of Luxury by using the below form:

Photo: Biennale

For lovers of the art and those who can’t get enough of the romantic city of Venice, Italy … you are in luck. Now you can combine the best of both worlds.

The world famous Venice Biennale is one of the most illustrious art festivals in the world and showcases contemporary art, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theatre on every corner of Venice.

First established in 1895, Biennale is historically the oldest art festival. This special art event runs between June and November and draws art and culture lovers from all over the world to experience all that is truly one of Italy’s most beautiful cities.

Venice Biennale will be held at the Giardini, at the Arsenale, in addition to other venues thoughout the famous Italian city.

In 2013, Biennale will celebrate its 55th anniversary. The renowned art festival will showcase works from almost 90 countries, and offer 48 collateral events.

To make this a trip to remember, you need to stay in one of the luxury hotels in Venice. The BAUERs Group is widely recognized for having four of the most luxurious properties to stay in Venice – L’Hotel, Il Palazzo, Il Palladio Hotel and Spa, and Villa F.

If you still desire to soak in more art during you rVenice stay, then consider:
– The Seguso Exhibit at the BAUERs L’Hotel, daily through September 29th, 2013. The name Seguso became synonymous with quality glasswork during the fifties and sixties when the prestigious glass factory was under the direction of creative genius Flavio Poli, winner of the Grand Prix at the Brussels International Exposition of 1958.

– See the painting, Le Cortigiane (The courtesans) by Carpaccio at Museo Correr, the civic museum. Another location to visit is The Ghetto – the Venice Jewish museum.

– Ai Wei Wei Exhibit at Zuecca Gallery, on Giudecca Island, runs daily until September 15th, 2013. This exhibition at Zuecca Project Space presents us with an immediate sense of the drama of an event, which underlines the contradictory development of contemporary China.

There is so much to see and do in Venice, Italy anytime of the year. Please contact The Life of Luxury to make your travel reservations and plan your trip of a lifetime to Venice.

One of the primary hiking destinations in the Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe is to beautiful Lake Aloha.

Lake Aloha lies in the shadow of magnificent Jack’s Peak, and can be easily categorized as one of the most scenic alpine lakes in the entire Lake Tahoe area.

It’s a rather large lake and is scattered with islands. Lake Aloha has a wonderful shoreline that is both stunning and quite explorable by foot.

A hike to Lake Aloha begins at the Echo Lakes Trailhead. Be aware, that is isn’t an easy hike. The first couple of miles, you will experience a hiking trail of loose rock.

If you want to bi-pass the rocky trail, you can choose taking taking a water taxi to the upper dock. The cost is only $10 per person, each-way. You will be left off near the Desolation Wilderness sign.

Hikers will experience a variety of terrain. One moment you will walk through the dense woods and the next, you will pass through small pastures.

The pastures are alive with color and aromas. You can view several types of wildflowers, including such as fuchsia paintbrush, lilac daises, and tiny yellow lilies.

Due to the elevation and unpredictable, it’s probably best you attempt the hike to lake aloha between July and early October.

Remember that all hikers who plan to hike into the Desolation Wilderness, must fill out a day pass.

You can reach Lake Aloha by taking Highway 50 from South Lake Tahoe to the intersection with California 89 on the west side of the lake. Continue on another ~10 miles, then make a right on Johnson Pass Road. Next you will turn left onto Atwood Road, then follow it to the Echo Lakes Chalet.