Domestic Updates
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Dear Traveller,
Recently I attended Virtuoso’s Northeast Regional Symposium and Trade Show in New York City at the Ritz
Carlton Battery Wharf. I took extra days to enjoy dining, museums, theatres, hotels and even a little shopping. The top
management of Virtuoso hotels, tour operators and cruise lines participated in the trade show. It was wonderful to see long-
time friends who over the years have visited our offices. The president of Ritz Carlton Hotels chaired a morning session with
a panel made up of managers of tour companies, hotels and cruise lines highlighting their special programs and promotions for
2010 and beyond.
When the meeting closed, I moved into the Ritz Carlton Central Park South for my New York adventure in this
exciting city. I visited the Morgan Library, which was on my wish list. There was a Jane Austen exhibit which reminded me
of my visit to her home in Hampshire, England. I also visited the new Art & Design Museum where Madeline Albright’s
collection of unusual pins was on display. These were designed for her many foreign visits as Secretary of State. The Museum
has a demonstration floor, a new café and a shop with very choice gifts. It’s well worth a visit.
One of the highlights of my stay was attending a performance of South Pacific. It’s a long-show that gets out late but
every moment is a delight. There are more plays both on and off Broadway than you could cover even if you stay a month!
We attended two off-Broadway productions. Ernest In Love was delightful – a musical takeoff of The Importance of
Being Ernest. We also attended Avenue Q.
I would like to share an unusual shopping experience with you. Zitomer Pharmacy, which is like no other drug store in
the world, has all the drug store features but also a huge inventory of hats, gloves, lingerie, children’s clothing, jewelry – real and
faux and just about everything you wouldn’t expect to find in a pharmacy! It’s always fun to visit.
The Surrey Hotel on East 76th Street has just reopened after a complete reconstruction. It’s now contemporary with
very stunning art and furniture. It’s being written up as THE place to visit with it’s new bar and spa and complete new look.
We had lunch at Café Boulud, a wonderful, three- star restaurant attached to the hotel. The service was polished, flowers
and setting were superlative and the food absolutely wonderful.
Another restaurant we thought was very special was A Voce on Madison Avenue. They have a terrific female chef. Every
dish was unique but delicious. One of my old favorites, the Trustees’Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum, was
closed for renovations, which I found out only after I invited guests to go there! They have huge windows overlooking Central
Park so it’s a terrific setting. When it reopens put it on your to-do list. We went back to Cipriani’s on 5th Ave. near the
Sherry Netherland Hotel and near the Taj Hotel, formerly the Four Seasons Pierre, which has just reopened.
New York is such a festive city - innumerable carriages, thousands of restaurants, many new and newly renovated hotels,
wonderful museums and historical sites. Please call Chestnut Hill Travel to plan a New York City stay for a terrific spring
lift.
I decided to escape south from our too early and nasty winter weather. The Boca Raton Hotel opened a contemporary,
stunning beach club section. The beach is absolutely beautiful, affording great water views. The main hotel is very traditional
but this new building is strikingly contemporary with all it’s modern art, furniture and design. There is a delightful beach
restaurant, several pools and at night there is an indoor restaurant.
Twenty-five minutes away in Manalapan, on the outskirts of Palm Beach, the Ritz Carlton Hotel has just opened a
truly magnificent spa. It’s beautifully decorated and furnished in a traditional style. One of its many delightful features is a very
large pool filled with stones and just enough water to cover your feet. You sit in comfy chairs suspended on tracks so you can
relax and read, keep your feet in the pool and move yourself into or out of the sun. Within the spa are lovely outdoor garden
areas where you can relax on lovely chaises surrounded by trees and flowers. You can arrange for a spa lunch if you prefer
rather than going into the main hotel.
Please note that Palm Beach has a new hotel on the beach next to the Four Seasons which I will soon visit and review.
If you’ve ever stayed in Sunny Isles or Hallandale, you will not recognize the areas. Many more high-rise apartments and
most of the motels are gone replaced by luxury condos and a few hotels. There are so many wonderful places to stay. Key
Biscayne has a lovely Ritz Carlton and if you prefer the west coast, their hotel in Naples is one of the very best.
Please remember to call us for all your travel. There are over 800 top hotels in the Virtuoso network. Our affiliations
allow us to offer special rates, amenities and upgrades. We also have special rates with cruise lines with many sailings included
in our Voyager Club program. If you want adventure travel, Virtuoso has more than 40 participating companies – all of the
best. Please let us know if you want to receive any of the award winning Virtuoso travel publications. We look forward to
helping you plan your next trip!
