MILLIONAIRE MINDSET: COSTA RICA'S VILLA
BUENA ONDA
Costa Rica’s 7-bedroom, ocean view Villa Buena Onda in Playa del Coco offers guests a personal chef catering up to three private meals per day, an in-house Concierge who plans your days, an all-inclusive bar option and nine full-time staff members, all priced at about $200 per person. If you want to live like a celebrity or a millionaire for a few days - or weeks - within the intimacy of a private home, but with all the amenities of a 5-star all-inclusive resort, then Villa Buena Onda is the perfect solution.
Costa Rican Vacations’ Richard Bexon says Villa Buena Onda has become Costa Rica’s answer to clients seeking a small but luxurious getaway, “Before Villa Buena Onda opened last year, we had very little to offer clients in terms of high-end, all-inclusive resorts at competitive prices,” Bexon says. “The Villa is our go to property for groups of 8 or [less]. I’ve stayed there several times and it’s like being at your own private Four Seasons. The staff isn’t just there to keep the property running; they work hard to set the tone for the perfect vacation.”
The success of the villa has spawned several similar new projects including Punta de Vista villa in Manuel Antonio set to open in 2010.
CHASING WATERFALLS
Text: Steve Winston
On Sept. 11, 2001, Bob Malkin was jogging with a friend near the World Trade Center when the planes hit the Twin Towers. They managed to find their way to Battery Park, at the lower tip of Manhattan, covered in dust and debris and gasping for air. Malkin and his wife Barbara Pokras decided that day to leave New York City. They soon purchased the Victorian Waterfall House in upstate New York’s beautiful Catskills in the Hudson River Valley.
Waterfall House’s most distinct feature is an extraordinary view of Niobe Falls - a continuation of the towering Kaaterskill Falls which are higher than Niagara Falls - right in its backyard. The 2 bedroom Waterfall House is also furnished with authentic country antiques and crafts, along with eclectic items from Malkin’s ThinkBig! Gallery in New York City.
There’s no better time to visit the Catskills. The colors of autumn – burnt-oranges; fire-engine reds; yellows of a dozen hues; even purples - seem to bathe the mountains and forests in an almost painted-on beauty. Just two hours north of New York City, autumn peaks in a blaze of color matched by few places on Earth. Waterfall House’s wraparound outdoor deck right over the river, allows you to watch - and listen to – the Falls and watch the constantly-changing colors of Autumn in the Catskills. Enjoy!
WHAT TO DO
Visiting the Catskills this fall? The area is buzzing with activity particularly in the quaint town of Woodstock. You just missed the Tenth Woodstock Film Festival (Sept 30-Oct4), which always features international film stars and directors but during the month of October, there’s Farm Festival music in the Woodstock Farmer’s Market, Friends of Fiddle & Dance, Mowers Outdoor Flea Market, and the Woodstock Farm Festival as well as art and photography exhibitions at local galleries.
SULTAN FANTASY
The opulent, over-the-top, luxurious 10-guestroom Crazy Bear hotel in Beaconsfield, England is more a private castle than a mansion. Black marble floors, crystal chandeliers, Swarovski crystals, crushed velvet curtains, textured leather, gold leaf, pewter and pillows are used to dramatic effect in each room. If you ever wanted to fulfill a Sultan fantasy for a weekend - or be a part of his harem - then this is your place.
Crazy Bear’s white marble staircase, with python bannister will deposit you at the entrance to the hotel’s private Crystal Room bar. After a few cocktails and dinner in the hotel’s sumptuous fireplace-dominated restaurant, head for a midnight dip in Crazy Bear’s Infinity swimming pool or steaming hot Jacuzzi. http://www.crazybeargroup.co.uk/beaconsfield/index.html
