Author Archives | David Ourisman
David Ourisman - who has written 11 posts on Vagablond.
David Ourisman is a travel consultant and a member of Virtuoso, an exclusive by-invitation-only network of leading travel consultants who specialize in luxury travel. Less than 1% of U.S. travel agents are affiliated with Virtuoso. Visit his website at MetaphorTravel.com.
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Posted on 22 October 2007
I recently returned from a trip to Southeast Asia during which I visited Hong Kong, Bangkok, Siem Reap, and Chiang Mai. Months before the trip, I had contracted with local Virtuoso on-sites to provide airport transfers, drivers and local guides for days of sightseeing, and to arrange the site visits I wanted to make to [...]
Tags: luxury travel, Virtuoso on-sites
Posted on 10 September 2007
Tips for Getting the Most for your Dollars
£1 = $2.028 … depressing. London has always been an expensive city, but the cost factor has been exacerbated by the declining U.S. dollar. That £500 hotel room in central London will cost an American $1,014 a night. Plus tax.
The weak dollar creates a corresponding problem for British [...]
Tags: complimentary breakfast, exchange rate, guaranteed US dollar rate, London, luxury hotels, upgrade, Virtuoso travel consultant
Posted on 13 August 2007
Tortuga Bay is one of the top resorts in the Caribbean. Located in the Dominican Republic, it is included on the Conde Nast Traveler 2007 Hot List. An exclusive resort with only 50 guest suites, each decorated by Oscar de la Renta, even the smallest one bedroom suite measures a full 1,127 square feet
Virtuoso guests [...]
Tags: Caribbean, luxury travel, Tortuga Bay Dominican Republic Virtuoso Destinations Hi
Posted on 27 July 2007
After being closed two and one half years for extensive renovations, Hotel Balzac in Paris reopened on July 16. With a great location near the Etoile, just off the Champs Elysees, this looks to be a stunning property. Fully air conditioned with duvet bedding and non-smoking rooms available, the hotel offers butlers and 24 hour [...]
Tags: Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, France, Hotel Balzac, Luxury Boutique, luxury travel, Paris, Paris Luxury Boutique, Pierre Gagnaire
Posted on 03 July 2007
The exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the British Pound is discouraging, to say the least. According to Google, £1 = $2.0038. This means you have to double the price in pounds to get the equivalent price in U.S. dollars.
This makes the Guaranteed U.S. Dollar rates at The Ritz all the more amazing. A [...]
Tags: 5 star hotel, Exchange Rates, five star hotel, London, luxury travel, The Ritz
Posted on 21 June 2007
Where to stay in Vancouver, BC? There are, of course, any number of great hotels in the city, including the Pan Pacific, the Fairmont, and the Four Seasons. But my favorite place for a romantic weekend is a few miles south of downtown in the beautiful residential neighborhood of Kerrisdale. The Treehouse B&B is on [...]
Tags: B&B, Bed and Breakfast, gourmet breakfast, Granville Island, luxury travel, Stanley Park, Treehouse B&B, Vancouver
Posted on 08 June 2007
The Ritz Paris is offering an incredible promotion this summer through Virtuoso. With a minimum stay of four nights between July 8 and August 10, 2007, you can enjoy a double upgrade to a higher category room or suite at the regular Virtuoso rates. Ideally located on the Place Vendome, the Ritz Paris offers easy [...]
Tags: destinations, double upgrade, General, hotels, Luxury Hotel, luxury travel, Paris, Ritz Paris, Swank Deals, Virtuoso
Posted on 04 June 2007
The Raffles Resort Canouan Island, located on Canouan Island in the heart of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean, is set on 300 acres of a 1,200 acre private estate. The resort features three secluded white sand beaches, all surrounded by one of the world’s largest coral reefs.
The new Raffles Resort is set around the [...]
Tags: beach, Canouan Island, Caribbean, coral reefs, golf, Grenadines, luxury travel, Raffles Resort Canouan Island, Spas, tennis