Maralyn Dennis Hill

Agave focuses on continuing to enhance its wellness programs for guests. When walking through the door at Agave, you’ll experience instant relaxation. After your first treatment, you may add an additional service for the late afternoon and spend the entire day relaxing. Agave offers all the services listed in the Starwood Spa Collection; the fitness center and pool are right at the spa. It goes further by honoring its namesake and the history and healing traditions of the people who founded Arizona. The Agave plant inspired those who developed the spa and is incorporated into many of its treatments. It also showcases a signature scent, a mix of pure agave, hazelnut oil, lemon oil and lime oil in its body lotion and shower gel—which allows guests to discover for themselves the moisture-rich qualities of the agave plant.

While exploring the Australian Yarra Valley wine region, I was able to experience the five star, heritage-listed Victorian mansion. Chateau Yearing, sitting on 250 acres, is a member of Relais & Chateaux. In the parlor, while enjoying scones and tea, I discovered Head Chef Mathew Macartney. Mathew oversees the Sweetwater Café and Elenore’s, a One Chef’s Hat in The Age Good Food Guide. Elenore’s has won numerous awards since Mathew arrived. He has also been a celebrity chef on Silversea’s cruise line the past two years. Chef Macartney’s talent speaks for itself in the recipe he chose to share.

This feature includes six articles published since March 2011 on Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. Some were written individually and some with Norman E. Hill. They include: Ballarat: Fascinating Mining History, Critters & More Phillip Island: Penguins, Preserve & Panny’s Tasmania: A Devil of a Good Time! The Grampians: Great Wine & Food Yarra Valley: It's Wine & Activities Abound Melbourne, Australia - Simply Amazing!

This article is co-authored with Michelle M. Winner As soon as we hear the first “Marco Polo� ringing out from the pool area, we are in a “get-us-out-of-here� mode. One of us dials for travel reservations for some much needed respite before the onslaught of summer. Before we have to deal with home lunches, screaming, messes, and chauffeuring, we need some “me time� with our girlfriends. Here are some unusual value options on the West Coast that offer beautiful locales and signature treatments that won’t break the summer vacation bank either.

This article and recipe on the Premchit Aromatic Prawns went to JustLuxe 4-14-2011; IBT 4-15-11; WSJ 5-21; Business Insider 5-20; India Time 4-30 to 5-6-11.

While exploring the central coast of California and Cambria, we discovered Deborah Scarborough, chef/owner of The Black Cat Bistro. In addition to knowing the evening would be wonderful as soon as we entered, we discovered Deborah is one of the most passionate chefs we’ve encountered. Like many chefs, she started cooking with her grandmother, mother, and father. However, she has taken her talent to an exceptional level beyond their fine examples. While in her twenties, in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, Deborah felt her dream of being a chef was a pipedream. “After an amazing meal out, I would try to recreate it. All my gifts were cooking related.�

Valentine’s greetings date back to the Middle Ages. The history behind this holiday is still a mystery, yet it has transformed the month of February into a time of romance, gifts, and special dinners. New York City has more exceptional restaurants than one could mention, but the focus here will be on its seven three-star Michelin establishments. Last year, New York boasted five with this ranking, and two more joined in 2012. A three-star Michelin rating is considered the highest, most respected global recognition in the culinary world. Having met numerous three-star chefs worldwide, and having enjoyed their cuisine, I know they are in a class by themselves and provide an exceptional experience.

As someone who does a lot of travel research, I couldn’t wait to interview travel titan, Pamela Hurley-Moser… after hearing about her, I knew I had to meet this woman. One of 120 worldwide representatives qualified to sell Virgin Galactic’s Sub-Orbital Space Flights, Pam focuses on the extraordinary and runs a profitable business at the same time. When others faltered, Pam soared. The best way to share her journey is to share our interview: Read more: http://www.cityroom.com/stories/education/2011/12/14/pamela-hurley-moserextraordinary-well-earned-success/#ixzz1lqgEkOz7

As cities in Germany go, Wolfsburg is relatively young, established in 1938. Just an hour from Berlin and 2.5 hours from Frankfurt via rail, it is easy to reach. What’s better, you can arrange to have the Ritz limo pick you up at the train station. The first Ritz-Carlton to deviate from their standard design was in Singapore. Well, the Wolfsburg Ritz is a true rival. Designed by the renowned French designer, Andrée Putman, its open circle design is intended to welcome guests. What appealed to me was being surrounded by a modern tribute to technology, which is an integral part of Volkswagen’s theme park, Autostadt, a convenient walk across the bridge.