Florida Agenda

By PAUL RUBIO

According to the American Consumer Credit Council, the average American spends $935 on Christmas gifts, but we all know people who fork out thousands for the holidays. This year, think twice about wasting money on the latest consumer fads or even cut a few peeps from the gift-giving list.

Be selfish and use some of that Xmas kitty to start the year in style. Or go totally altruistic and surprise someone special in your life with a grand vacation or a mini staycation.

All I Want for Xmas is… A Private Island

A one-stop shop for serenity, beauty, gastronomy, spirituality, relaxation, and devotion, Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos champions the distinctive inspirations of “Eat,” “Pray,” and “Love” within a single private island. The island’s barefoot luxury is seductive and irresistible, best appreciated on aimless ambles to clandestine coves and uninhabited sandbars or cocktail in hand lounging poolside. The food at Parrot Cay is so blow-your-mind delicious that each meal is nothing short of experiential. parrotcay.como.bz

All I Want for Xmas is…  An Overwater Bungalow

Hands down the two ultimate destinations for the overwater bungalow experience are the Maldives and French Polynesia. If you can’t fork out the cash for the 1K/night often commanded by hotels in Bora Bora and the Maldives, try the Hilton Moorea Spa and Lagoon. The overwater huts here perch over the world’s most crystalline waters; and they happen to be more affordable than similar product on other islands around the world. Request suites numbered between 71-75, 82-87 or 105-109 and prepare to indulge in the some of the world’s most  breath taking scenery. www.hilton.com/FrenchPolynesia

All I Want for Xmas is…  A Winter City Experience

Whether visiting for the first or the fourteenth time, Boston imbues visitors and residents alike with a patriotic spirit and a sense of American enchantment. In America’s great city of “firsts,” the Lenox Hotel is revered as one of the country’s first luxury hotels. The Lenox boasts the only in-room wood burning fireplaces in Boston, and the hotel’s authentic British pub, Solas, was shipped over from Liverpool.  It’s all within short walking distance to GLBT institutions like Club Café and the gay-friendly South End. lenoxhotel.com

All I Want for Xmas is…  A Taste of Old Florida

Florida’s Southern Belle, the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, is a classic, oceanfront resort in an untouched part of Old Florida, in close proximity of pristine state parks like Fort Clinch, Big Talbot Island, and Little Talbot Island. Charming amenities such as the ubiquitous Adirondack chairs facing the wide swaths of ocean, and the cozy, fireplace-lit seaside common room make this resort idyllic in both summer and winter. The resort recently unveiled its new $18 million dollar spa, with a revamped menu that includes novel additions like “Heaven in a Hammock.” ritzcarlton.com/AmeliaIsland

All I Want for Xmas is…  Sundrenched Relaxation

If you don’t feel like standing and posing in a one-piece or two-piece at a crumbling, overpriced Art Deco hotel on South Beach, seek sunny refuge a dozen miles north at Acqualina Resort & Spa. A self-contained world of high-end seaside fun, Acqualina sits on Miami Beach’s finest sands and boasts amenities that outshine almost any South Beach trendsetting hotel. Nightlife options are limited, but the point here is simplyunapologeticrelaxation. acqualinaresort.com

Deep Blue Seas, Turquoise Reefs, White Sandy Beaches and Palm Trees!

By Paul Rubio

An incomparable showcase of Mother  Nature’s omnipotence, the Maldives merge castaway fantasy with paradisiacal reality. Scattered randomly over the far reaches of the Indian Ocean, the country’s 26 isolated atolls and surrounding waters epitomize raw beauty and simplicity. Azure waters teem with rainbows of marine life. Shallow, uninhabited palm fringed islets drown in downy sands and rising tides. By night, moonlight illuminates vast expanses of great blue, forming an  ever-changing kaleidoscope of aqua. It’s the presence of top global resorts, however, that ultimately consummates this Maldivian love affair, facilitating the romance between creature comforts and Earth’s core elements.

In the Male Southern atoll, a series  of petite islands host three separate Anantara properties – Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa, and Naladhu – Maldivian for “long,” “sand,” and “beautiful island,” respectively – all connected by a small network of foot bridges, lagoons and shuttle boats. Each property flaunts  a unique style and appeal.

Dhigu’s  predominantly oceanfront bungalows, Veli’s traditional over water villas and Naladhu’s immaculate ocean homes suit all tastes of the discerning vacation palate.

The Anantara enclave has nine  eclectic bars and restaurants to choose from, three idyllic swimming pools and plentiful wide-open spaces for water-sport enthusiasts. Opportunities for kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, wake boarding, parasailing, and water-skiing beckon at the water activities center, Aquafanatics, while ground staff organize Asian cooking classes, local arts and crafts sessions and land based sports tournaments. The flagship overwater spa features the dexterity of Thai massage therapists, who indulge guests in traditional and signature treatments over tranquil glass bottom floors.

In the entire Maldives, Naladhu is the only resort to provide the bona fide ocean home experience, pampering guests with 3200 square foot houses perched over the rising tide. The baroque-patterned, wrought iron entrance opens the doors of tropical
elegance, combining contemporary  minimalism with maritime nostalgia. Antique accessories commingle Asian inspiration with European influences. Replacing a central living room with  an infinity pool, cool, fresh waters are steps away from anywhere in the house, spilling into the ocean at one end and into the innovative Plexiglas/marble bathtub at the other. Behind the bathing area, a passageway leads to the  beautifully landscaped outdoor shower, mirroring the indigenous shrubbery and palm trees that adorn the western perimeter of the infinity pool. On  the footsteps of the hardwood floors  and meticulously furnished master
bedroom, a queen bed hammock sways back and forth nearly gliding over the water. A thatched roof dining area and private veranda welcome the light mist from ocean zephyrs while unveiling a panorama of unadulterated ocean and sky.
Personal butlers readily await the requests and whims of residents in Naladhu’s nineteen homes; but at most times, an overwhelming sentiment of completeness renders the intended  butler services null and void. Given Naladhu’s exclusivity, guests are able to use the common facilities and outlets of neighboring Veli and Dhigu, though the reverse does not apply. This means that guests  can easily limit their interactions with others and maintain varying degrees of privacy.

Across the lagoons, at Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa, a festive yet relaxing ambience prevails. The property feels busy compared to its two neighbors with live music in the evenings, the enclave’s most popular restaurant, Fuddan Fusion Grill and the traffic of 110 villas. Dhigu, however, successfully stymies the big resort feel by virtue of its design and ample acreage. Service never drops below a five- star level and the property fills a niche for couples who enjoy regular doses of human interaction.