Jonathan’s Gems: Dublin’s Shelbourne is now one of Europe’s Greatest City Hotels
Some were surprised when we added The Shelbourne to our Collection for 2016. Those people clearly were not paying attention to Dublin's 5-star landscape. We could not help but notice the massive investment occurring at the hotel, but more importantly the elite service-led...
Jonathan’s Gems: Our Gem of a Property in Florence, Antica Torre
I remember my first visit to Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni as I knew immediately that this was a "Celebrated Hotel." On one of Florence's most beautiful streets, most visitors to the city buzz right by the property's entrance without knowing that behind the door is one of...
Jonathan’s Gems: London’s Milestone Hotel is the place to be this summer!
We continue to get more positive feedback from guests about The Milestone in London than any other Celebrated Hotel in England. Did you know that The Milestone was named the #2 city hotel in Europe in last year's Travel + Leisure's WORLD'S BEST AWARDS? It comes down to the...
Jonathan’s Gems: Gleneagles and my obsession with this “glorious playground”
Sometimes you are so great at one thing, that people fail to understand how good you can be at other things. Gleneagles is such a fantastic example of this premise. As one of the world's great golf destinations, people often fail to realize the breadth of all that there is...
Jonathan’s Gems: Florence’s Golden Tower is an intimate property with a stellar location
Florence is full of many historic and famous properties, yet Golden Tower has made a big splash since it opened a few years ago. Few cities in Europe are better for exploring by foot, and with Golden Tower's central location it is obvious why we love this property for so...
Jonathan’s Gems: Dylan in Dublin is one of the world’s coolest and most fun city hotels
I have so many incredible memories of my visits to Dylan in Dublin, but two jump out immediately. My first memory of Dylan is when my father and I inspected the hotel days before it opened. We were so wowed by the rooms and style - as well as a junior member of the team...
Jonathan’s Gems: Villa Aminta is our favorite 5-star hotel on Lake Maggiore
I visited Villa Aminta for the first time in 2014 as we were building our initial Collection in Italy. This past fall I was finally able to stay and really explore the region. While most Americans opt for Lake Como, there are many things we love about Lake Maggiore as...
Jonathan’s Gems: Killarney Park is a great luxury base for exploring the Ring of Kerry and entire region!
I remember the first time I visited Killarney Park. I was struck by so many things that made this hotel special. That was over 10 years ago. Since we have booked literally thousands of happy guests as this hotel. Here are my favorite things about Killarney Park: The...
Jonathan’s Gems: Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Bath’s Royal Crescent!
Sometimes staying in a hotel is a lot more than simply staying in a hotel. One of my favorite examples of this is The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa which is located (you guessed it!) in the heart of The Royal Crescent, Bath, one of the world’s most iconic structures. The...
Jonathan’s Gems: Royal Hotel Sanremo has it all on the Italian Riviera
We get many requests for off-the-beaten path experiences for our clients in Italy – places where clients can go and the numbers of Americans are at a minimum. We also get requests for alternatives to the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast. In 2016 we added Royal Hotel...
Jonathan’s Gems: London’s Athenaeum is better than ever – especially for families!
The Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair is better than ever after extensive updates. It is still such a top destination for families traveling to London, but it is so much more – especially when it comes to their hot F&B options. FAMILY FRIENDLY ROOMS & KIDS...
Jonathan’s Gems: Exciting Updates at Lucknam Park in the English Countryside
One of the most frequent requests we get at Celebrated Experiences is for a “Downton Abbey” type of hotel experience. I really love this request as it shows a traveler who wants to really create true lasting memories rather than the traveler who would prefer to see the...