The Insider's Club: May

The most complete GUIDE to the INSIDE

The Insider’s Club May 2017

Hot Spot of the Month

Rome

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Choose Your News Explore: Rome 4-7 Where To Stay 8-11 Exclusive Virtuoso World Travel Experiences 12-21 Tech News: Travel Technology 22-23

Explore: Rome

Explore: Rome Written by Damien Martin Those who know me will tell you I have a phenomenal memory. But I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t obsessed with Rome. The mythology and mystique thoroughly captivated my imagination at an early age.

Obviously, I wasn’t alone. Rome has seeped into our collective psyche and inspired countless legends, books and films. It welcomes up to 10 million visitors annually, and tourism has been an industry there for thousands of years. It is the stuff of dreams.

With so much built-in expectation, how best to make the actual experience live up to the fantasy? Hit the ground running, so to speak.

“Walk, walk, walk, walk,” says Andrea Grisdale, founder and CEO of IC Bellagio, a Virtuoso-preferred on-site partner for Italy. “One thing I truly love to do is wake up as early as possible when there are so few people around” and take in the major sights before they get too crowded.

La Città Eterna, “the Eternal City,” is always a popular place of pilgrimage, so it is never empty. But there are ways to avoid the largest throngs of tourists.

Visiting in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall is a good start. The weather will be more inviting, for starters. Since ancient times, Romans have felt the need to escape the city in the heat of the summer, and for good reason.

If summer is the only time you can make it, take Grisdale’s advice and avoid the peak midday hours for sightseeing. You’ll be more comfortable, and you’ll have a more intimate experience before or after the scores of cruise passengers descend on the city from the docking point at Civitavecchia. If you are one of those cruise passengers, a private guide will help you navigate the crowds and give you a personalized interaction with the living, breathing museum that is Rome.

As for those peak hours? Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do: Hop on a Vespa.

“It is really Roman,” says Alberto Dittadi, sales and marketing manager for Italian Dream Inc., also a Virtuoso-preferred on-site. “You skip a lot of traffic and get places you can’t go by car. The nicest route is at the Aventino hill right behind baths of Caracalla. Time permitting, also driving on the Via Appia – the Appian Way – is very cool.”

Owing to its expansive history – the city celebrated its 2770th birthday last month – there are many different Romes.

In Trastevere, across the Tiber River from the major monuments, Grisdale says, “there are great osterias where you pay next to nothing and old shops that have been in the family forever, a world away from the Spanish Steps.”

People will always want to see the Colosseum, and the popularity of Pope Francis has more and more people flocking to the Vatican. But the biggest request for Rome these days, Grisdale and Dittadi agree, is to live like a local.

This is best done, of course, through food and drink. IC Bellagio’s Eat Your Way Through Rome and aperitivo tours introduce travelers to a Roman’s Rome – and prove that cacio e pepe may be Rome’s biggest contribution to society.

Italian Dream’s Dittadi recommends a path through the city that wends through the vibrant happy-hour scene in the Pigneto neighborhood to Urbana 47 in Rione Monti, a fusion of traditional Roman fare and outside influences, culminating in gelato at Tre Scalini on Piazza Navona.

If your appetite is for the Rome of bygone ages, there are well-preserved remnants of antiquity. Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome, and the Via Appia, one of the capital’s oldest and most important roads. Ostia offers a glimpse of daily life in the Roman Empire’s trading nerve center, and Via Appia was a popular spot for wealthy Romans to build lavish tombs millennia ago. Guides have a way of bringing these ruins to life, even for those “who don’t want to hear about every stone that’s ever been laid,” Grisdale says.

The total experience will leave you with a real sense of what’s it like to be a Roman, adapting to the 21st century, surrounded on all sides by tangible reminders of a world-shaping past.

Rome:

Where you should stay

Hotel de Russie, a Rocco Forte Hotel A Roman icon for nearly 200 years, Hotel de Russie is as renowned for its elegant styling as its envied position between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. Delicate hues, contemporary decor and attention to detail highlight guest bedrooms. Many rooms overlook the rooftops or the hotel’s Secret Garden; the newly refurbished Popolo and Picasso suites have been uniquely adorned with original artworks and antique furniture and have private terraces. Dine at Le Jardin de Russie in the extensive terraced gardens. The hotel boasts one of Rome’s best urban retreats, featuring a saltwater hydropool, sauna and steam room.

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Hotel Hassler Owned and managed by Roberto E. Wirth, the fifth generation of a famous Swiss hotelier family, Hotel Hassler Roma stands at the top of the Spanish Steps as the epitome of la dolce vita. In the hotel’s 92 elegantly appointed guestrooms and suites, you’ll find walk-in closets and classic or contemporary decor. The Hassler’s Michelin-starred sixth-floor restaurant, Imàgo, is a city icon serving creative fare as delectable as the views. Equally enjoyable: a relaxing massage followed by a refreshing juice on the Amorvero SPA’s terrace.

Portrait Roma On Via Condotti with spectacular views of the Spanish Steps, Portrait Roma is a discreet hideaway with 14 suites and studios, dedicated to the life and times of renowned designer Salvatore Ferragamo. The Portrait Roma Lifestyle team is dedicated to taking care of your every need, and the accommodations are as stylish as you would expect. You’ll find gray pinstriped carpeting over blond hardwood floors, heavy silk drapes with accents of acid green or cyclamen and brightly colored cashmere throws. Start your day with breakfast on the rooftop, where the views sweep across the city to include the Piazza di Spagna and the Villa Medici.

One Fine Stay Consider One Fine Stay your “unhotel” experience. Like directors of a fine art gallery, their talented team has curated a collection of exquisite homes in the world’s top cities — so you can live like a local in, say, a cozy three-bedroom townhouse on a tranquil London lane, complete with ivy-filled garden and gregarious cat. Or relive your gladiator training in an apartment overlooking the Colosseum in Rome. Or get playful in a whimsically decorated two-bedroom apartment in New York’s trendy Tribeca neighborhood. Whether staying in Paris’ Left Bank or the Westside of L.A., you’ll enjoy a personal welcome, 24/7 service, fluffy towels and linens, and free Wi-Fi. You’ll even receive an iPhone for local calls and easy navigation.

Exclusive Virtuoso

World Travel Experiences

Suite Upgrade

Park Hyatt Mallorca, Spain Valid for travel now through December 31th, 2017

Experience Includes: • • • • • •

Accommodation in Park Suite or above Guaranteed upgrade at booking (to Park Suite View or Presidential Suite) Buffet breakfast for two daily $100 food and beverage credit, once per stay Early check-in/late checkout, if available

Exclusive Virtuoso

World Travel Experiences Kids Go Free

Kasbah Tamadot, Asni, Morocco Valid for travel now through December 31st, 2017

Experience Includes:

• Up to two children travelling with one or more adults can stay at Kasbah Tamadot at no extra charge – saving MAD 1,120 (approx. $110) per child per night.

• Kids aged from 0 - 11 years can stay for free during the following dates: • AVAILABLE DATES • 27th May- 4th June 2017 • 1st July - 5th September 2017 • 14th October - 5th November 2017 • 16th December 2017 - 7th January 2018 • Children under the age of six also dine free of charge throughout their stay and can enjoy complimentary soft drinks and ice cream.

• Families can be accommodated in Superior Suite and Deluxe Suite categories • The offer is based on children sharing the same room as their parents; the maximum occupancy is 3 guests with a roll away bed • Children can participate as fully as they would if you had paid for them – we still include breakfast and they can participate in our Kasbah Kids activities • The offer can be combined with other packages including the “Full Board Supplement” • Excludes Christmas and New Year dates (as detailed above)

Exclusive Virtuoso

World Travel Experiences

Ultimate Romance

Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands Valid for travel now through December 31st, 2017

Experience Includes: • Stay 5 nights at Pacific Resort Aitutaki and receive 1 night free plus return airport/resort transfers on Aitutaki, lei garlands on arrival at the airport and separate private seated reception area Aitutaki airport, a welcome drink (coconut nu) on arrival at the resort, full cooked a-la-Carte breakfast served in Rapae Bay Restaurant, NZ$250 (approx. $175) Food & Beverage Credit per room per 5 night stay, a romantic dinner for two which includes the set up and dinner for two (value of NZD$150, approx. $105) excludes beverages and Virtuoso Amenities included.

• Rates start from NZD$450 (approx. $315) per person per night per 5-night package, based on twin share (Premium Beachfront Bungalow).

• • Minimum 5-night stay, package can be doubled/tripled, e.g. Stay 10/Pay 12 (dinner for two & the value does not double/triple)

Exclusive Virtuoso

World Travel Experiences

Casa Grande Experience

Vermejo Park Ranch, Raton, New Mexico Valid for travel now through July 28th, 2017

Experience Includes: • • • •

Exclusive use of historic Grand Estate home for up to 14 guests Private Chef & House Butler All meals, beverages and private guides to explore over 600,000 acres Rates for exclusive use of Casa Grande start at $16,500 per night for up to 14 guests. A 3-night minimum stay is required and offer is not inclusive of Virtuoso amenities.

Exclusive Virtuoso

World Travel Experiences

Summer in St. Barth

Cheval Blanc St. Barth Isle de France Valid for travel May 1st through August 31st, 2017 • Book any room or suite for a minimum of three nights and receive: • Round-trip airport transfers with the Maison’s shuttle • Two, three-course dinners for two at our beach-front restaurant La Case de l’Isle (exclusive of beverages) • Daily American breakfast in your room or at our beach-front restaurant La Case de l’Isle • Daily one poolside cocktail to enjoy during sunset • A category A car rental (two cars included when booking for three-bedroom Flamands Villa) • Book any of room or suite for a minimum of seven nights and receive: • An additional three-course dinner for two at beach-front restaurant La Case de l’Isle (exclusive of beverages) • One 50-minute massage for two adults • For a reservation of a 2-bedroom Beach Suite with private Jacuzzi, 1-bedroom Beach Suite with private pool, or a Flamands Villa: • On one of the two offered dinners, enjoy the possibility to dine on your private terrace, or feet-in-the-sand on the Flamands beach • On a famous Cheval Blanc Moke, drive to one of the most magnificent St-Barth’s points of view, and savor an exquisite cocktail at sunset, freshly concocted by your Majordome • Discover all the secrets of a well renowned Caribbean nectar during a private class, and keep a personalized souvenir with you • Exclusively for our little guests, a surprise to unleash their creativity and talent

Tech News:

Travel Tech

Neckpacker Neckpacker has all the bells and wistles of the traditional travel jackets, including specifically tailored pockets for tickets, passport, tablets, etc., but most importantly it incorporates a patented hood system which makes it far more comfortable for sleeping than any other previous travel pillow or neck support system. Air cushions around the neck, cheeks and back of your head are inflated using a pump situated in the left chest pocket. Lateral straps on both sides of the head stop the neck from tilting to the side.

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Oaxis AirScale This device can not only weigh your travel bag, it’s also a portable phone charger. The digital luggage scale can handle a weight up to 88 pounds, and it has a 2.4-amp output for super-fast charging with a USB and micro-USB port. Despite its dual functions, it weighs only 5.5 ounces.

Trunkster

Trunkster’s crown jewel is a sliding rolltop door, representing the first major update to the core industrial design of luggage since wheels. Durable and water resistant, the rolltop door lets you instantly access your belongings in one swift motion. Rolltop entry is a road warrior’s best friend, specifically engineered to withstand the perils of baggage handling, and providing an enhanced level of theft protection, unlike vulnerable zippers.

No longer will you be one of those desperate people huddled around a plug at the airport. Trunkster’s power bank is removable and can be used independently of Trunkster to charge your devices wherever. If you need more power, simply upgrade with any USB compatible power bank.