Forget fingerprints and DNA, when it comes to spending money people are as different as snowflakes. Beyond what we spend it on, what sets us apart from the rest is where we spend it. When planning a vacation, it’s nice to know you’re in the hands of a source you can trust. Unfortunately, finding a travel site that meets your specific needs isn’t as easy as it used to be. With Web 2.0 in full swing and travel sites abounding, you can spend countless hours trying to find the deals, properties or content you need. Fortunately, we know a thing or two about finding luxury travel where it lives, so we’ve compiled a comparative list of the best—and worst—resources for deal-seeking travelers on the web today.

How it Works: Each site is judged on three criteria. Ratings are given on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest–just like the star system (unless you’re in Dubai).
The Criteria:
Deals: How deep are the discounts? And are they worth it?
Insight: Do they know luxury? Or are they just doing their job?
Charm: Do they give good editorial?

Five Star Alliance
Deals: 1     Insight: 4     Charm: 4

As a directory of luxury hotels, Five Star Alliance does its job with an insider’s eye. The aggregated list, as the site suggests, could very well be the “web’s most comprehensive, hand-picked collection of luxury hotels.”

However, Five Star fails to deliver on its promise of luxury hotel deals. Their deals include links to Travelocity, Best Western, Holiday Inn and a smattering of low-rent hotel chains. The Five Star Alliance Offers section delivers the luxury, but what’s on offer can be far from a deal—a one-time high tea at the Hotel Danieli in Venice; a 30-minute jet lag massage for two, contingent on a three night stay at the Desert Palm, Dubai; and a complimentary martini in the drawing room of the Egerton House in London.

If you’re looking for the right hotel, Five Star is a good place to start, but if you’re looking for a real luxury break, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Do check out their blog—The Informed Traveler—though, for some great one-off deals pulled from outside sources and a healthy dose of smart travel writing.

Globorati
Deals: 2     Insight: 5     Charm: 5

As its name suggests, globorati is the ‘it’ kid of luxury travel sites. Unlike many of its competitors, you won’t find any advertorials here–the site’s editorial policy strictly forbids kickbacks for content.

Globorati’s top editors, Mark Jolly and Nicole Contreneo have worked for Condé Nast Traveler and The New York Times, respectively. With a resume like that, you know you’re in good hands. They do all of the research for you and deliver it in the form of witty, well-versed editorial. The interface is even super cool. Use the integrated digital map feature (it might look familiar, um, Google) to find the finest in hospitality the World over, or check out the ‘Dreamlist’ for the editor’s top picks.

Deals aren’t globorati’s specialty, but a handy Kayak.com banner will search “hundreds of travel sites from all over the world” to find the best rates on the irresistible vacations you’ve just read about.

Kiwi Collection
Deals: 2      Insight: 5     Charm: 4

The Kiwi Collection is like an exclusive members-only club for luxury hotels. Participation in Kiwi publications is strictly by invite only, and they boast that only one percent of properties in the world ever score such an invite.

Visitors can customize their search for the perfect hotel, not only by location and price, but also by a slew of other criteria, including lifestyle and personal interests. Along with an in-depth hotel finder, you’ll find an online travel magazine, Wow Travel, and the Kiwi store, which carries everything from high-design furniture to summer-themed compilation mix CDs. Like Globorati, Kiwi has a digital map feature, but this one’s more James Bond than Google Maps.

The site doesn’t advertise travel deals or discounts, but you can narrow your search by price.

Luxury Link
Deals: 4    Insight: 3     Charm: 3

Luxury Link takes an eBay-esque approach to the luxury travel market. Just like the online auction house that started it all, Luxury Link has auction-only deals, as well as “buy now” offers.

Current auctions include “A Venetian Ode to Old-Fashioned Romance on the Grand Canal” and a Mystery Auction featuring a “seaside escape” to the East Coast, in which the identity of the destination is kept under wraps until the last bid has been placed. For those with a competitive edge, and a decent amount of time on their hands, Luxury Link gives travelers the opportunity to fight for their right to vacay.

You won’t find any witty editorial or fancy user interfaces, but Luxury Link’s unique approach to travel planning certainly sets it apart from the competition.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Deals: 4     Insight: 4     Charm: 5

If any website could be described as sexy, this is certainly it. Mr. and Mrs. Smith—if those are their real names—disseminate their deep knowledge of luxury living in a sleek and sophisticated package.Tagged as the boutique and luxury hotel specialists, they refer to their approach as, “A wink to couples everywhere, who fancy checking into a fabulous hotel under this classic dirty-weekend pseudonym.” They cover absolutely every angle of the luxury hotel market from classic luxury resorts to oddball boutiques and vintage hotels.

Membership on Mr. and Mrs. Smith is required to take advantage of their exclusive deals, and costs between $20 and $499 dollars per year. GoldSmith members, the highest rank in the Smith family, enjoy entry into airport lounges, invitations to VIP events, upgrades at Smith hotels and offers from luxury brands. Current hotel deals include $180 off room rates at Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley and 25% off room rates at the Hacienda San Jose on the Yucatan Peninsula.

New to the site is a membership rewards program called the Vault, where members can cash in on credits added to their “safety deposit” when they book through Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Vault goodies include everything from a strip poker set from Agent Provocateur to diamonds.

Perfect Escapes
Deals: 4     Insight: 1     Charm: 0

If it’s luxury design you’re looking for in a travel site, refer back to Mr. and Mrs. Smith or the Kiwi Collection, because Perfect Escapes isn’t about pomp and flash. Similarly, you won’t find any witty editorial or fancy marketing jargon here.

Instead, Perfect Escapes provides a straightforward guide to luxury accommodations and travel deals. Given, they only scratch the surface of opulent accommodations–most of their selections are part of larger luxury chains–but they know a good price when they see one. If you’ve had enough of flashy graphics, refined editorial and discerning taste, Perfect Escapes is the spot for you.

Sherman’s Travel (Smart Luxury)
Deals: 3     Insight: 3     Charm: 2

Sherman’s Travel is also a glossy print publication, but it was the company’s online success that brought this tangible manifestation about. Sherman’s may not be as sleek as some of its up-market competitors, but it’s certainly a step up from a few we can think of in the aesthetics department.

They recently moved into the luxury space, bringing their tried and true model to the world of five-star properties. The editorial staff spins detailed descriptions of their selected destinations that make you wish you were there, and the deals are worth a look as well. Check out the Luxe 15 for the editor’s top picks of the month, or use the Smart Luxury feature to track down the perfect travel package. If you hate having to log on to find updated information, sign up for the Luxe 15 newsletter and have it delivered straight to your inbox.

Tripkick
Deals: 1    Insight: 5    Charm: 5

Tripkick is all about the details. Unlike their competitors, the folks at Tripkick have distilled the hotel ranking game down to the room. You’ll begin your search by querying on the basis of City, Personality or Features. Once you’ve selected a hotel, then Tripkick narrows the search according to your needs. If it’s a quiet room you desire, they’ll find it, if it’s a view you’re looking for, they’ll find that too.

Once you’ve taken your trip, the site invites you to come back and share your experience, especially with regard to your particular room number. Tripkick will also connect you to transportation options, to and from your destination. What it won’t do is provide you with special deals. They’ve already given you a review down to the room, now it’s your turn to do a little work.

If it’s non-user-generated editorial you crave, hop on over Tripkick’s blog for a playful look at world travel.

WhatAHotel
Deals: 3     Insight: 4     Charm: 3

While the name conjures images of fast food hamburgers, the folks over at WhatAHotel really know quality. The site doesn’t come with any bells and whistles, just lists of the best. The homepage is divided into two sections: Best Hotels by Popular Cities and Best Hotels Chains. Follow a link and you’ll be introduced to another list—a selection of the finest accommodations accompanied by a short description and a thumbnail of each hotel. Clicking through to one of the carefully selected hotels, gets you the full run down as well as a chance to book through them.

In terms of deals, you might find a better price somewhere else, but if you do, they’ll match it. Sign up for their e-mail newsletter, and you’ll also receive some “exclusive complimentary perks.”

Tablet Hotels
Deals: 2     Insight: 5     Charm: 5

Tablet Hotels is a super-attractive and easy to navigate site highlighting a broad range of luxury hotels around the world.  Sounds perfect, right? Well, not if you’re looking for a great deal.

Tablet’s “Special Offers” often just state the lowest rate they were able to find over the past month—a great reference point, but no guarantee you’ll be able to find the same rate when you try to book.  And when they do have a legit deal, you can often find a better one on the hotel’s website (e.g. a Tablet offer at the Crane Hotel in Barbados saves you 20% on a 3-night stay, but the hotel itself offers a 35% discount on the same stay at it’s website).

The thing that saves Tablet is its killer editorial.  If you’re looking for in-depth descriptions—and pictures—of a ton of great hotels and destinations, you’ve found your site.  We could do without their Style and Music sections (to you really need a booking site deciding what you wear to dinner in Dubai or listen to on the plane to Paris?), but stick with the basics and you won’t be disappointed.

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.

by Aaron Butzen

In America, the land of glorious contradictions, we’re quick to both applaud and abhor age-old practices of other countries and cultures. This means that although the United States has embraced wine and wine culture—ancient fixtures in most European countries—our citizens still balk at the European attitude toward children and alcohol.

So, although we now have domestic varieties that rival those of Tuscany or Bordeaux, we try to one-up the Italians and French by keeping our kids as far away from the fermented fruits of the vine as possible. It’s time to lose that prejudice, pile the family into the Odyssey, and learn what our neighbors across the Atlantic have always known: wine education (if not wine itself) can be good for kids, too.

In all seriousness, whether or not you’re comfortable with your 12-year-old sampling a vintage Petite Sirah, children can still enjoy and benefit from wine-tasting excursions or vacations. However, being a primarily adult activity, there are a few things to consider before taking the plunge.

Research, Research, Research

The first rule of taking kids wine-tasting (or anywhere, for that matter) is to do your homework. Find out how the wineries you are planning to visit feel about children—most (such as Napa’s V. Sattui Winery) are friendly and welcoming but quick to point out that there are breakable items in their tasting rooms. However, some will be snootier than others about the situation, so it pays to make a simple phone call first.

Basically, just make sure your kids aren’t acting like complete hellions on visiting day. To this end, feed them first, bring snacks along with you and, if their attention spans fail, bring some coloring books or video games to help them sit through the “here’s why our grapes are the best” spiel.

Next, find out if the wineries offer any kid-specific activities or products. For example, Biltmore Estate’s winery in North Carolina gives children homemade grape juice so they can sit and sip next to their parents and watch all the action unfold. Many wineries (including the Biltmore) also offer self-guided tours of the premises, so you and your kids can go exploring, learn about the operation and burn off some excess energy before tasting begins. You may be surprised that your kids want to learn more about how wine is made—encourage them to ask questions, take pictures and share in the educational experience.

Another great option for families is to visit a wine festival or fair—there are about a hundred of these a year in California Wine Country alone, and many more scattered across the country. One of the most famous (and kid-friendly) is the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, which offers live entertainment, wine tasting, wine seminars, food and wine competitions, and—most exciting for your hyperactive offspring—a grape-stomping competition, open to anyone who registers. Split your family into teams of two and get rowdy and messy…just don’t try the same thing at the wineries.

Come Together

All told, a wine-tasting vacation with the family will indubitably require some compromise. Be willing to take a day, or a half-day, off to let the kids indulge in the beach or a park or even a movie (you can sleep through it if you’ve had too much Pinot). Stop and admire the scenery and try not to forget that you have your family with you, and your kids (and liver) will thank you for it.