BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Luxury Travel A New Game -- The Seven Wonders of Luxury

We’ve all heard of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the list that included the Sphinx and Pyramids and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. More recently, a worldwide effort named the 7 Wonders of the Modern World. But how about the 7 Wonders of the Luxury World? What are the most luxurious places you have been? You can define luxury any way you like – this is your game. I define it according to things I like best, as you can see from the variety of luxuries I have written about. Luxury doesn’t need to be over the top; sometimes the simple pleasures are the most luxurious of all – a hammock under a tree on a perfect beach, or a farmhouse meal of locally-grown foods, a jeep trip through a tropical forest, or a picnic overlooking an alpine view. For some ideas of the kinds of luxuries that really count, take a look at some of the past articles at BellaOnline’s Luxury Travel site (see list at left, under Travel & Leisure). Some possible categories are hotels, dining, tours, spas, safari camps, flights and travel experiences. Maybe you haven’t done these yourself, but a friend has told you about her best vacation ever. Let’s hear about them. If you can’t think of seven, then add just one to our list!

OK, I'll start it with my own list (not in any particular order):
1. Driving through Portugal's beautiful wine country and mountains, staying at the wine estates of Solares de Portugal
2. Kayaking The Mad Mile and returning to dinner at Awaroa Lodge on New Zealand's Abel Tasman Trail.
3. High Tea overlooking the lake and mountains at Fairmont Lake Louise, in the Canadian Rockies.
4. The Suite Alcazar at the hotel Puerta de Alcazar in Seville, Spain.
5. Watching the sunset while eating dinner at Villa las Tronas in Alghero, Sardinia.
6. Dinner and a room laden with thoughtful touches, at northern Vermont's Rabbit Hill Inn.
7. Staying and dining at Villa del Quar, in northern Italy's Valpolicella wine region.

My favorite places are;

1. The Stoweflake Inn in Stowe Vt. You can relax in their state of the art spa.

2. Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel where you are surrounded by beautiful oppulence.

3. Sipping tea overlooking the Boston Public Garden in the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons Boston.

4. The panaramic views from Top of the Hub restaurant on the 52nd floor of the Prudential building in Boston. Dine with the city at your feet.

Some of my favorites are:

1 -Copacabana Palace in Rio, sipping caipirihnas while taring out at sea.

2 - A suite at the JW Marriott in Mexico City. Talk about posh!

3 - Hotel Marquis Reforma, Mexico City. It's an all-suite hotel and it has a wonderful spa.

4 - Winvian in the Litchfield Hills, CT. Every "cottage" is different, including one that's inside of a helicopter. Very pricey, but very unique.

5 - The Hatton House in the Cotswolds, in England.

How could I have forgotten one of my all-time favorites: sipping drinks at sunset on the terrace of the Hotel Cavalieri Rome, overlooking St. Peter's Basillica!

Here's my list of some seven wonders: 1. Afternoon tea at the Ritz in London. 2. Spending the weekend in a corner room/suite at the Ritz in London. 3. Breakfast at the Meurice Hotel in Paris. 4. Visiting the ruins of the Whitby abbey on a windy, gray autumn day in East Yorkshire. 5. Strolling through the lavender fields in Provence. 6. Wine tasting in Sonoma County, California 7. Eating a fresh ripe peach on the shores of Lake Como

Cruising through Prince Christian Sound in Greenland amidst some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. Wine, cheese and fine chocolates from local shops in your suite overlooking the city at the St. James Hotel, Paris-- Feeding the animals in the private zoo at Peppers on the Point, Rotorua, New Zealand, an oasis of suites in a geothermal wonderland. A weekend at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, a landmark hotel of Old World grandeur central to shaping the history and grandeur of Canada's capital. A stay at El Portal, Sedona, a 1910 style Hacienda furnished in fine antiques. Afternoon tea at the Chesterfield Mayfair, London. Seeing the Northern Lights from a balcony suite while at sea.

Let's see: I am fascinated by prehistoric people so I would say:

Luxury takes many forms. 1.) Hot fudge banana splits, but the hot fudge has to be really rich. 2.) Exploring cities on long walks with my husband. 3.) Christmas shopping in the upscale boutiques and craft shops of Gramado, Brazil. 4.) Time to savor the museums of Paris. 5.) Relaxing with a really good book. 6.) Renting a house in Tuscany. 7.) The spring wild flowers in Texas Hill Country.

Wow! You have all "been there and done that" it seems! What a great bunch of lists. I have added your places to my own wish list.