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In early November I had the privilege of traveling to Florence, Venice, and Milan with a wonderful group of travel advisors hosted by Largay Travel, our link to the upscale Virtuoso consortium. It was an extravagant week of staying at 5-star properties and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants. Hey, someone has to do the research for members of ActiveTravels who will soon travel there!
We had great guides throughout our trip, touring the Duomo in Florence and the Jewish Ghetto in Venice, where you can visit two 16th-century synagogues still in use. But I really loved gaining access to local artisans, who were down narrow alleyways or streets you would never find on your own. That’s the sign of a good walking tour.
In Florence, we met a goldsmith, Nerdi Orafi, who works in the same building Salvatore Ferragamo once designed women’s shoes. She creates exquisite handmade necklaces and earrings with her husband in a small studio, their wares so exceptional that Dolce & Gabbana hired the couple to create jewelry for a fashion shoot. Of course, I couldn’t leave without buying earrings for Lisa, designed with three rings, the same symbol Michelangelo used on the marble he worked with. Just around the corner I met a 4th-generation marble paper artist and book binder, Riccardo Luci, who designs the patented peacock feather look on paper Florence is known for. He showed us his process of creating patterns and lightly applying the paper to the paint and water combination to soak up the patterns. Fascinating!
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We were delighted to see that our good friends at Largay Travel made the cover of the latest issue of Luxury Travel Advisor. Largay Travel has been the host agency of ActiveTravels since 2017 and wow, did we luck out when we joined forces with them. Not only have they given us access to the Virtuoso Network, but they have become our mentors, teaching us the ins and outs of this often-complex industry while connecting us with the top suppliers in the travel world. But they really shined in 2020, keeping our spirits high with Zoom travel webinars, Monday Meditation, Wednesday Town Hall Meetings for all to join, and the requisite Friday Dance Party. They continue to remain optimistic, helping us to be a stronger and better travel agency when we pull out of this pandemic.
To help celebrate Largay Travel’s cover story, the three Miraval properties in Tucson, Austin, and the one in the Berkshires Lisa and I just visited are offering an exclusive deal. Head to one of these properties January 7-10 and they’re offering 30% off their regular rate. Cost of the 3-night package at Miraval Berkshires is $1686 per person double occupancy, $2098 per person single occupancy; Miraval Tucson $1883 per person double occupancy, $2296 per person single occupancy; Miraval Austin $1650 per person double occupancy, $2042 per person single occupancy. Pricing includes all meals, unlimited participation in all fitness/wellness/meditation/nutrition classes, $175 nightly resort credit for person to be spent on spa services and private sessions with instructors, and complimentary shuttle from Tucson/Austin/Hartford airports. If interested, please let ActiveTravels know! This is only for Largay Travel Advisors and their clients!
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Every other year, Lisa travels to Las Vegas in the heat of August to meet with hundreds of travel suppliers, hotel GMs, cruise companies, and many other faces in the travel industry for Virtuoso Travel Week. This year, we had those meetings for 4 very full days from the comfort of our office thanks to Google Meet. I have no idea how they can organize hundreds, if not thousands of meetings, at the same time without crashing. But, lo and behold, every 10 minutes we clicked on another link and had our private sessions with the people we most wanted to speak with. This week, I will present the highlights from those meetings:
The big news out of New England is the opening of the new Miraval property in Lenox. After $132 million investment, the Miraval Berkshires wellness resort and its close cousin, the Wyndhurst Manor & Club, opened in late July on the former Cranwell hilltop property overlooking October Mountain. Miraval offers 100 guest rooms and suites, while Wyndhurst has 11 rooms in the historic mansion and 35 additional rooms in nearby cottages. Now, with social distancing in place, the resort can accommodate 40 percent of total occupancy. Miraval’s “digital detox” wellness approach emphasizes outdoor programming, including guided hikes and equine activities, as well as smaller group settings to encourage social distancing for indoor programs such as yoga, fitness, culinary and meditation classes, though many of those classes will be moved outside this fall. Guests also have access to the resort’s private beach on nearby Laurel Lake, where programs include stand-up paddle, paddle yoga and kayaking, as well as meditation. Other activities include sustainable living classes, like beekeeping and raising chickens, and the much-needed spa for healing and nurturing.
If interested in a visit to Miraval this year or next, please let ActiveTravels know and we’ll check availability and pricing. As a member of Virtuoso, we can also get you a free upgrade upon arrival, complimentary breakfast, and $100 resort credit, per person.
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