JustLuxe: Katherine Bond Articles / News

Mother's Day luxury treats in San Diego

Katherine Bond — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:11:49 EDT

We love to shower our moms with goodies. According to Hallmark and the Wall Street Journal, Mother's Day is the 2nd biggest gift-giving day in America, ranking just behind Christmas. Why give the typical pre-packaged gift, then, whe...

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The Real Cartegena

Katherine Bond — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:25:50 EDT

It sounds like an unusual property: a Chinese and Indian decorated Spanish colonial home tucked in a small neighborhood in Cartegena. Casa El Carretero, found in the local's n...

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Glamping in Galapagos: Santa Cruz Island's Only Luxury Tent Resort

Katherine Bond — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:31:26 EDT

Many on the island thought they were crazy. Who, particularly non-native European transplants, would ever build a luxury camp resort in the highlands of the Galapagos? Who would build a resort on a farm with no roads, no water, and no electricity, away from the beaches, far from the docks, and nowhere near tourists?...

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Hotel Bel-Air: 4 Reasons to Visit This Iconic Hollywood Hideaway

Katherine Bond — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:40:55 EDT

Tony Curtis said he would marry it. Oprah and Nicole Kidman have stayed at it. Marilyn Monroe lived in it. The Hotel Bel-Air has been the "It girl� of the Hollywood elite since the 1940s and thirty years later, she's never been in finer form. Having just reopened in 2011 after an extensive two-year...

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Highlights From a Weekend at Montage Beverly Hills

Katherine Bond — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:55:05 EST

Beverly Hills, the epicenter of glamour and luxury on the west coast, is home to Montage Beverly Hills�a hotel exemplifying the same opulence and attention to detail that the city is known for. Its location�filled with frequent Hollywood high-society sightings, and just two blocks from Rodeo Drive�s chic shops�helps create an undeniable allure. As one of three Montage Hotels and Resorts properties, the Montage Beverly Hills is a distinct haven of "comfortable luxury." Here are a few of my favorite finds during a recent stay:...

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Isn't it fortunate: Fortune 421 debuts 2nd swimwear collection

Katherine Bond — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:41:02 EST

Fortunately, summer is around the corner. Equally auspicious is Fortune 421's latest swimwear collection for this year. We sat down for with Cristina Alanis, designer for Fortune 421,...

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Lush Escapes in Cambodia's Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort

Katherine Bond — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:47:45 EST

Leave it to the French to make a swampy jungle tangled around ancient ruins a swoon-worthy luxurious escape.� The Sofitel Angkor Phokeet...

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See Why The Resort at Pelican Hill Was Named #1 Resort in the U.S.

Katherine Bond — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:31:36 EST

It didn't take long for The Resort at Pelican Hill to become a dominant leader in the luxury resort space. Just four years old, The Resort already boasts dozens of elite accolades ranging from the Robb Report's World's Top 100 Resorts to Conde Nast Traveler's #1 U.S. Resort in 2011....

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Winter Bliss at The Pelican Hill Resort

Katherine Bond — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 02:34:44 EST

From Singapore to Bangkok, Discovering What Makes Shangri-La Hotels of Asia So Iconic

Katherine Bond — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:14:55 EST

In 1933, British writer James Hilton dubbed "Shangri-La" as the whimsical, cloud-topped Tibetan mountain area in his book, Lost Horizon. While Shangri-La was fictional in Hilton's depiction, Robert Kuok decided to make the term a real-life utopia, by opening his first luxury Shangri-La property in Singapore in 1971....

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Perfume making in the heart of La Jolla at Tijon

Katherine Bond — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:34:34 EST

Smelling good is a big business. According to the Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA), the global fragrances and perfumes market will reach $33 billion by the year 2015. Fragrances and perfumes have becomes staples, rather than frivolou...

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Merry at the Montage

Katherine Bond — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:47:55 EST

It's hard to beat Southern California in the winter. Toasting with a glass of eggnog when its 62 degrees is wonderful; cold snow and ice do not enhance the experience. If you're lucky to arrive at Laguna Beach's iconic <...

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Possibly the Last Best Place in Montana | The Ranch at Rock Creek

Katherine Bond — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:29:55 EST

It's a hard phrase to live up to: "The last best place on Earth." But Montanans feel so adamant about their state's token slogan that it even gained protection from the U.S. Patent Office earlier this year. First coined by Montana author William Kittredge in 1988, the "last best place on Earth" describes more than my favorite state. It's an ideal description for the Ranch at Rock Creek, a spectacular resort and manifestation of a lifelong dream set in the southwest corner of Montana. Here are just a few a reasons to visit this property:...

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Q&A with the CEO of Gen Next

Katherine Bond — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:23:33 EST

The next generation of Americans and global citizens are sure to face challenges currently brooding across the world. So what is the current generation doing about it? Gen Next...

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Cambodian Villa in the Heart of Siem Reap | Amatao Tropical Residence

Katherine Bond — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:55:56 EST
Away from Siem Reap's paved streets lined with big luxurious hotels and packed with tour buses is a charming villa hidden deep within a sleepy village: The Amatao Tropical Residence. It is indeed a residence�a residence for those who visit Cambodia, the Kingdom of Wonder. On a recent trip to Cambodia, I was able to call Amatao my home, and I'd be delighted to return. Here are a few of my favorite reasons to stay at this exceptional property once more....

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Untouched Tranquility Surrounds the Aman Resorts in Bhutan

Katherine Bond — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:21:57 EDT
Bhutan, the Kingdom of the Dragon, has been on my visit list for years. Travelers call it one of the last "Shangri la" destinations left on the planet. Its government refuses to measure Gross Domestic Product but instead implemented Gross Domestic Happiness decades ago. Now having been, I can attest that Bhutan is one of our planet's rare countries still suspended in untouched tranquility and traditions. Venture to Bhutan and surround yourself in its heritage by the resort group known to keep it: Aman Resorts....

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An Authentic Nepali Cultural Experience at Dwarika's Hotel

Katherine Bond — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:36:13 EDT
Some hotels eventually make history, but few preserve history from centuries past. Dwarika's Hotel is one such place. It�s a treasure trove of Nepal's most intricate and culturally significant architecture and exists both as a mecca of heritage and as a luxurious oasis amidst Nepal's boisterous capital, Kathmandu. Here are a few of the reasons not to miss this property on any escape to Nepal:...

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Farm-to-Table at its Finest at New Mexico's Los Poblanos Inn

Katherine Bond — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:42:26 EDT
There's a new trend in travel simmering across the States: luxury farm stays. That is, splendid and charming accommodations right on property where grapes and cabbage grow and goats and cows graze. It's dining so close to the farm that you could take your fork, lean out the window, and pluck the berries for the house-made granola. It's rooms so cozy and cared for that every soap, linen, and candle is made just steps away. I couldn't be more pleased....

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Raising the (health) bar

Katherine Bond — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:14:33 EDT

Soon it will be Halloween, when over 2 billion dollars worth of candy bars will be handed out across America. Non-trick-or-treaters might be looking for another type of bar: a "healthy" bar. The holiday season is around

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Palm Springs Luxury Spa Resort a Celebrity Favorite | La Quinta Resort & Club

Katherine Bond — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 04:50:01 EDT
Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis�these were the Hollywood elite that flocked to La Quinta Resort & Club in the late 1920s, lured by the quiet retreat's desert mountain shelter from the celebrity lifestyle and movie-making demands. Some, like Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, made La Quinta Resort & Club a home, his own "Shangri-La of Screenwriting."...

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Where to Stay in Palm Springs With Spa and Award-Winning Golf Course

Katherine Bond — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 04:50:01 EDT
Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis�these were the Hollywood elite that flocked to La Quinta Resort & Club in the late 1920s, lured by the quiet retreat's desert mountain shelter from the celebrity lifestyle and movie-making demands. Some, like Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, made La Quinta Resort & Club a home, his own "Shangri-La of Screenwriting."...

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I'm Not a Camper, but I am a Glamper

Katherine Bond — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:21:06 EDT

I don�t like to camp, but I love to glamp.�That is, I don�t want to sleep in a soggy sleeping bag or spend 3 hours propping up a dingy tent while doused in bug spray.�But put me in a King size bed called the �Last Be...

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San Francisco to Napa Valley | Luxury Bay Area Retreats

Katherine Bond — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:35:12 EDT
New York City has the Hamptons. Los Angeles has Palm Springs. But San Francisco has Napa, the lush wine-filled "Tuscany" of America and the Bay Area escape for over 4 million visitors a year. Recently, I departed from the frenzy of San Fran's Union Square to one of Napa's largest retreats. Here are the highlights:...

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Napa Valley Escapes

Katherine Bond — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:35:12 EDT
New York City has the Hamptons. Los Angeles has Palm Springs. But San Francisco has Napa, the lush wine-filled "Tuscany" of America and the Bay Area escape for over 4 million visitors a year. Recently, I departed from the frenzy of San Fran's Union Square to one of Napa's largest retreats. Here are the highlights:...

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A Cake That Takes the Cake | Interview with Lachlan Oliver of Heaven Sent Deserts

Katherine Bond — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 01:34:38 EDT

How does one make a cake that TAKES the cake?�Now that wedding cakes are being substituted and "reinvented" a la candied apples, churros and donut towers, I thought to sit down with top cake baker and owner, Lachlan Oliver, owner of Heaven Sent Desserts based in San Diego, to get a slice on the wedding cake industry....

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