While we are certain that our relationship is a lasting one, we’re just going to come right out and say it: We think you should see other blogs. Now don’t get upset, we’ll still be here whenever you need us, but you’re young and beautiful and there are so many fun and interesting fish in the sea. We’ll even point you in the right direction with ten of our favorite luxury-traveler-oriented blogs; we think they’ll be just your type. But please, don’t get too attached to any of them—we already want you back.

1. Vagablond
This long, tall beauty of a blog celebrates three of life’s greatest pleasures—travel, food and wine. (And shopping, too.) It’s full of useful information for the discriminating traveler, with travel recommendations, restaurant reviews, wine news and events, and relevant shopping and product information. This site is classy and interesting, and there’s something about it that makes one crave a dirty martini.

2. A Luxury Travel Blog
Though we can’t decide if this blog’s name is pure creative genius or pure uninspired laziness, we love it for its simplicity. With a list of article categories as long as Chile, this blog has info on everything from Vacation Rentals to Space Travel, not to mention something about virtually every country in the world—and every state in the nation. Maintained by the same company that created the travel site compendium Aardvark Travel, we think this blog lives up to its name.

3. Hotel Chatter
Anyone who wants the inside scoop on where to stay in the world of luxury travel—and where not to—needs to bookmark Hotel Chatter yesterday.  This smart and in depth (read: multiple posts daily) blog covers everything from deals to reviews and even celebrity sitings.   There’s even a good bit of industry info, for those who like to know about exciting news coming down the travel pike—like everyone who reads the Halogen Guides Travel blog.

4. Luxury Travel Butler
Luxury Travel Butler is a stylish blog for stylish travelers. (Or, as they would say, travellers. It’s a European blog.) Recent post topics include luxury limo service in Belgium, luxury camping near the stone-city of Petra and the fast-growing luxury industry in New Zealand. With news, deals and destinations, this is a great travel resource, though not quite as cool as a personal butler.

5. The Suite Life
Disney Channel references aside, The Suite Life is a professional, no-nonsense piece of work that most definitely deserves your attention. With minimal ads and zero clutter, this blog takes a similarly streamlined approach to its posts, which are concise tidbits of travel news, tips and deals. It’s a fun and interesting site, and a good one to peruse if your attention span is similar to that of America’s youth.

6. Luxury Holiday Hotel and Travel Portal
For those unfamiliar with the British usage of the word “holiday,” across the pond it means something more akin to “vacation” than “Fourth of July.” A thin line, but an important one. This UK-operated blog is all about vacation, and makes you feel like you might be on one, what with all the lingo and extra letters in words like “rumour.” Check out the post about the world’s most luxurious swimming pools—awesome.

7. Globorati
Globorati’s motto is “travel. beautiful.” and we think they’ve got both parts down pat. This attractive blog covers travel news and trends, and profiles destinations and trips of interest to the discerning globetrotter. Each post is accompanied by a sexy photograph, which we think is a nice touch, and Globorati sports some nifty search and booking tools as well.

8. The Informed Traveler
Cal Simmons, Founder and Chairman of luxury-hotel booking site Five Star Alliance, created this little gem to highlight—you guessed it—news and deals from the world’s best luxury hotels. Posts highlight destinations from Singapore to St. Petersburg, and all link to Five Star Alliance’s booking and reservation pages.

9. KWE Blog: Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends
This blog has as much luxury lifestyle information (changing bridal registry trends, the revival of gold bullion) as it does luxury travel info (luxurious hotel pools, staycations and “luxury days”), but we think you’ll find all that their posts are interesting and useful, if not strictly travel-related.

10. Concierge.com
Another clean, professional blog with plenty of information and resources to whet your travel appetite. The site is a division of Condé Nast, so you know that the articles here are well-researched and written, and there’s even a handy map that lets you find posts by clicking on the area of the world where you want to go.

For some of us, cocktailing is nothing less than a sport.  But when it comes to having a memorable night, libations are just part of the equation. For their part, today’s hotel bars are upping their games, from seaside libations to dancing under the stars (literally). Here are a few one-of-a-kind spots to check out:

To the Ends of the Earth
The Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos recently unveiled the longest bar in the Caribbean with its new Infiniti Edge Bar. The 90-foot bar, constructed of black marble, creates the illusion that the entire structure is floating above the sand and into the ocean. Guests can sip traditional Caribbean cocktails under shaded canopies while the waves lap at their feet. Now that’s what we call relaxation.

All That Glitters is Gold
If you’ve got an insatiable thirst for the bubbly, Gilt Champagne Lounge in London’s Jumeirah Carlton Tower should be your next stop.  The small bar simply reeks of luxury, from its gold-hued walls and white banquettes to its plush gold-trimmed chairs. The luxury doesn’t stop with the surroundings, though: A glass of champagne will run you 14 Euros at the very least; make that 17.50 if you fancy a Bellini.

Art House
In today’s worlds of art and hotel design, there may have been no greater meeting of the minds than Julian Schnabel and Ian Schrager. Schrager’s Gramercy Park Hotel recently underwent a major redesign, which included the opening of the luxe and eclectic Rose and Jade Bars, featuring custom-designed furniture by Schnabel, rich red-and-chocolate-brown color schemes, candlelight and artwork from the likes of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Schnabel himself. And lest we forget, reservations are required after 9 pm.

Star Power
As if Las Vegas wasn’t already known for its levels of excess, the new Moon nightclub on the penthouse level of the Palms Fantasy Tower, takes the “room with a view” concept to a new extreme. The club’s massive retractable roof opens to reveal a view of the nighttime sky. When it’s closed, the roof serves as a giant video screen, showing scenes from the dance floor and around the club from a series of moveable cameras and projectors. Whatever happened to “what happens in Vegas…”?

Water World

A name can say a lot about a place, and Sao Paolo’s Hotel Unique is no exception.  The hotel, which resembles a modern, copper-hued boat, was designed by Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake and features a striking rooftop bar and restaurant, Skye. A crimson-hued pool is the centerpiece; revelers can look out at a panoramic city skyline while sipping cocktails.

For this week’s Featured segment, we interviewed Karan Kaul, Business Strategy Manager for Six Senses, a trailblazer of the concept of environmental responsibility in luxury travel. Their beautiful properties and spas span 14 countries and strive to give those seeking a responsible travel experience unique and enriching vacations with the ever-present goals of sustainability and community contribution.

Karan answered our five favorite travel questions. Check out his answers below!

14Trips: What was your favorite childhood vacation spot?
KK: Definitely Bali—The Island of the Gods and a wonderful place to visit at all stages in one’s life. I was actually born there (hence the bias!) and look forward to my trips there every year. The resilience of the Island during recent crises and how it has bounced back demonstrates that Bali has generations left in its life cycle as a global destination. Make sure you get a taste of Seminyak (The Oberoi, Bali is a Grande Dame that delights to this day) as well as Ubud. Culture and a collection of beautiful resorts at the peak of their abilities.

14Trips: What book did you take with you on your last trip?
KK: A Fortune-Teller Told Me by the late Tiziano Terzani. The perfect book for a long flight and an easy vacation. I love how he interwove history, his own commentary and that mystical side of life we all feel from time to time. Even as a current resident of Southeast Asia, his book has shed new light on cities and countries I thought I knew well.

14Trips: What is the best dining experience you’ve ever had?
KK: Without a doubt in the Organic Garden Restaurant at Soneva Fushi by Six Senses. The energy of the entire island ensures you are immersed in a state of complete relaxation and perpetual rejuvenation. A lush tropical paradise set in stunning waters in the Maldives. My best dining experience was a simple meal suspended 3 meters above the sand with views of tree tops and the ocean beyond.

14Trips: What city, in your opinion, is the best kept secret in travel?
KK: I would have to say Tokyo. More accessible than people expect and with a such a variety of districts, each with a unique buzz, that you feel two weeks would not be enough to scratch the surface. It leaves you wanting more and ensures that you will return. Try Imahan for exceptional Sukiyaki and Kondo for Tempura.

14Trips: Who do you think publishes the best travel guides?
KK: My personal choice are the Luxe City Guides—updated, concise, and real. These guides are written with a great sense of humor and assist travelers who have a vague idea about the sorts of things they would like to do, but not a lot of time to figure it all out. “Smart stuff for busy people”? Too right.

For the Featured post this week, we chatted with Randy Antin, Director of Interactive Media for Perfect Escapes, home to a hand-picked list of four- and five-star hotels deals in more than 100 countries. The only hotels he recommends are those his editors have selected as true luxury hotels. His newsletter, The Perfect 10, is sent a few times a month to highlight exclusive and public deals at luxury hotels worldwide. Previous to this role, Randy worked at Travelocity for eight years. He’s now approaching a decade of working in online travel.

Randy took a few minutes with 14Trips to provide his feedback on our five favorite travel questions. Please read his answers below.

14Trips: What was your favorite childhood vacation spot?
RA: For the same week every year since I was five years old, my family went to the University of California Berkeley’s family camp, Lair of the Golden Bear, located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range near Pinecrest Lake. It was a week for family, friends, hiking, sports, singing, and camping. I have so many memories from that camp and it became my introduction to developing a love for the outdoors. I took ten years off during college and in my twenties, but now I’ve started going back for a week each summer. This time, it is a completely different experience to be there as an adult with my fiance, and I feel lucky to be able to see my nieces and nephews experiencing the same delights that I did as a child.

14Trips: What book did you take with you on your last trip?
RA: I tend to plow through the stacks of magazines that I can’t get through during my work weeks, including Wired, Travel and Leisure, and The Economist. During my last trip, I wanted a page-turner so I picked up Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. The story takes place in the Depression Era and throws you into the circus world. Escapist and totally enjoyable. Previous to that, I think my last book was Garbageland by Elizabeth Royte. She gets obsessive about her trash and begins a fact-finding mission to find out what happens to everything she consumes and throws away, from her bins at home to the trash pickup to recycling plants and landfills. It is a fascinating look into our impact on the planet and fairly timely with the growing interest in preserving our environment.

14Trips: What is the best dining experience you’ve ever had?
RA: Nice restaurants are one thing, but unique experiences with good friends are usually more of what I am after. My two favorite travel meals of all time both happen to take place at the top of very large mountains. One was at the top of Meribel in Les Trois Valleés in the French Alps during a snowboarding trip. It included five friends, a bottle of wine, couple different cheeses and salamis, a good baguette and some tasty French chocolate. The best mid-day snowboarding lunch ever with one of the most spectacular views.

The other took place in a very small hut in the middle of the Kepler Track on the South Island in New Zealand with four friends, a bottle of wine, a couple different cheeses, and chocolate (notice a trend?). Of course, perhaps anything would have tasted good in the middle of a 37-mile backpacking trip with beautiful fjords as a backdrop.

14Trips: What city, in your opinion, is the best kept secret in travel?
RA: Are there any secrets anymore? Of the cities I’ve been to, I would rank Porto, Portugal very high on my list as a less-often-visited city in Western Europe that deserves more attention, considering that it is the heart of the Douro Valley and the port region. Also, the entire downtown area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Truly stunning, especially at night from across the river. I would also rank Panama City very high, especially the old colonial neighborhood of Casco Viejo, which has been under massive restorations in the last 5 years and has been experiencing a huge resurgence. I still consider Panama the lesser-traveled Costa Rica.

14Trips: Who do you think publishes the best travel guides?
RA: For city guides, I’m a fan of Time Out, Rough Guides, and Chronicle Books’ City Walks series. For books about countries or bigger regions, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet are usually in my bag. I tend to get my information online these days and take lots of notes, mainly from HotelChatter, Yelp, and Lonely Planet’s BlueLists. I would say my best travel guides are my friends’ recommendations since I’m finding it harder and harder to travel somewhere that someone I know hasn’t already been.

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