Greer's OC

Travel

The Desert’s Best Kept Secret

06.10.15

Now that it’s summer travel season, you need to know about Indian Wells’ four-diamond vacation destination Miramonte Resort & Spa’s “Stay Free” vacation package, which offers a complimentary third night and $25 spa credit to guests booking a two-night stay through September 30, 2015.

At the Mediterranean-inspired Miramonte, you’ll love the two-story bougainvillea-covered villas featuring romantic architecture, intricate stonework, and tranquil piazzas.

The sprawling 11-acre property also features Italian fountains, outdoor fire pits, olive trees, fragrant citrus groves, and rose, herb and flower gardens. There’s even a newly renovated pool, award-winning spa, gourmet dining, as well as a line-up of live musical performances scheduled throughout the summer.

Guests can apply their $25 spa credit to a treatment at award-winning THE WELL Spa spanning 12,000 square feet of decadent relaxation, which includes 13 treatment rooms, an impressive relaxation courtyard, a private Aqua Well pool, and a signature River Bench heated pool with private waterfalls. A new menu of summer-inspired treatments includes the emollient Quench Massage, rejuvenating Vitamin C Facial, and the Pittura Festa, where couples can paint each other with a palette of therapeutic muds before enjoying a 60-minute massage.

Miramonte’s Signature Pool features new private cabanas perfect for enjoying the entire day by the pool. Each cabana can be reserved in advance and comes with fresh fruit and beverages throughout the day, personal misters, a refrigerator, ceiling fan, television, and other amenities. For a more serene experience, there’s an intimate Piedmont pool for adults only.

At Miramonte Resort & Spa, you can dine at the Grove Artisan Kitchen, best known for its "farm to table" seasonal California cuisine featuring organic produce, fresh herbs grown on-property, farm-raised meats and poultry, fresh Pacific seafood, house-made pastas, prime dry-aged meats, and innovative vegetarian dishes.

Another dining option, The Vineyard Lounge, will offer a Summer Happy Hour from 3 to 5 pm, featuring $5 well drinks and wine along with a variety of discounted appetizers. The Vineyard will host festive Taco Tuesday nights throughout summer, with refreshing margaritas for $6 and delicious tacos for only $2. Also, live entertainment is scheduled throughout the summer.

For additional information on the “Stay Free” package, visit www.miramonteresort.com/PRstayfree .

Guests can use promo code STAYFREE when making reservations online or by calling 800.532.4220.

Miramonte Resort & Spa is at 45000 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells.

Perched atop Nob Hill, Stanford Court

03.04.15

We can’t get enough of San Francisco: the fog and cool crisp air, the neighborhoods ideal for walking, the variety of food choices and the fact that it’s a short flight from home. It’s fun to move around the city and find new places to stay—there are no shortages of boutique and large chain hotels.

On our most recent trip, we landed on Nob Hill, which is easily the most renowned historical areas for its grand mansions and incredible views of the San Francisco Bay. There’s good reason this was home to barons and tycoons back in the day, it’s centrally located and the views can’t be beat.

We choose the Stanford Court hotel, on the corner of California and Powell Streets, that was built on the site of the mansion of Leland Stanford. Of all of the hotels on Nob Hill, this one is grand, but modern and high-tech, and you feel like they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.

Stanford Court is literally steps from the city’s best dining, shopping, entertainment and cultural activities, plus you can easily jump on a cable-car or walk to get to key places in the city such as the Financial District, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square and Ferry Building.

The lobby offers lounge seating and communal tables, and if you have work to do they offer complimentary Apple computers, iPads, and free high-speed Wi-Fi.You can check out the live-feed video footage from the hotel’s rooftop camera that captures views of the bay and Nob Hill, as well as the Financial District and Telegraph Hill, and iconic Transamerica Pyramid and Coit Tower. The amber Tiffany-style stained-glass canopy is a design element that pays homage to Leland Stanford’s mansion.

With its nearby selection of cafés and restaurants, we loved the Nob Hill Café on Taylor Street that serves Tuscan-style pizzas and pastas; as well as the fine-dining Keiko à Nob Hill that offers a Japanese-influenced French tasting menu; you can also relax at the Stanford Court with a breakfast at Aurea; gourmet bites from local purveyors during the day; or a seasonally-inspired dinner menu as well as as well as craft brews, local wine on tap, and a full Hangar One and St. George cocktail program, offered in the lobby lounge in the evening.

Our favorite part of the hotel are the contemporary and comfortable rooms that offer panoramic views of the bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and the city. Except for the fun of exploring the city, we never wanted to leave the room with the premium bedding, state-of-the-art technology including a 37” LCD TV, and luxe marbled bathrooms with showers, soaking tubs and bath towel warmers.

As far as getting around the city, Stanford Court offers ZipCar accessibility and Marin bikes for use, electric car charging stations. If you do bring your car, be sure to ask for Parking Package. You can enjoy complimentary parking for one car with this special package. You can also take advantage of other packages to save that include a bed and breakfast special, a California resident rate, and group promos.