Posts tagged LUXURY
A Dreamy Getaway at Four Seasons Anguilla
 
Four Seasons Anguilla

Before I get started on my review, don’t forget that I am a preferred partner with Four Seasons! What does this mean for you? Extra perks for no extra charge!

Preferred Partner Perks when you book with That Blonde Travels:

Daily Breakfast for 2
Resort Credit
Early check-in/late check-out *based on availability
Upgrade on arrival *based on availability


From the moment you step foot on the pristine shores of Four Seasons Resort Anguilla, it’s clear this is no ordinary vacation destination—it's an oasis of tranquility, sophistication, and natural beauty. My stay at this stunning resort was nothing short of extraordinary, and I can’t wait to share my experience.

Location & Setting: Situated on a breathtaking stretch of Anguilla’s coastline, the resort boasts two immaculate beaches, each with soft, powdery sand and crystal-clear waters. The sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea are simply mesmerizing, and the resort's design does a wonderful job of blending into the natural landscape, creating an atmosphere of relaxed luxury.

Whether you’re lounging by the infinity pools, enjoying water sports, or exploring the nearby beaches, the resort’s setting immediately transports you to paradise.

Service & Hospitality: The hallmark of Four Seasons properties is their impeccable service, and Anguilla is no exception. Every staff member I encountered was friendly, attentive, and genuinely eager to make my stay unforgettable. From the personalized welcome to the farewell, I felt like a VIP throughout my time there. Special shout-out to the concierge team and Chavez, who helped arrange everything from private boat trips to dinner reservations at the island’s exceptional restaurants. Chavez also helped me create a route on google maps for the day that we rented a Moke! Above and beyond! Also, a special shout-out to the pool servers, Yella and Del, who helped make our days perfect!

Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner
Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner

Accommodations: My one bedroom ocean-view suite was spacious and elegantly appointed, with a private terrace, featuring a plunge pool, offering stunning views of the turquoise sea. The attention to detail was evident in every corner, from the luxurious linens to the state-of-the-art amenities. I particularly appreciated the large bathroom with a deep soaking tub—perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring.

Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner
Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner

Dining: Food at Four Seasons Anguilla is a true highlight. The resort offers a range of dining options, from casual beachside meals to refined, fine-dining experiences. I dined at Salt, where the steak and fresh seafood was outstanding.

For breakfast, the buffet also at Salt was perfect—offering everything from fresh tropical fruits to made-to-order omelets and pastries. I also loved the beach bar, where I could sip on a refreshing cocktail while watching the sun set. Don’t skip the Mojitos!

Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner
Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner

Activities & Amenities: Beyond lounging and relaxing, Four Seasons Anguilla offers a host of activities for those looking for adventure. We particularly enjoyed renting a Moke for the day and driving around to see the island! There’s also a world-class spa that offers indulgent treatments designed to rejuvenate the body and mind, and a fitness center that’s well-equipped for those who like to stay active.

Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner
Four Seasons Anguilla Preferred Partner

Final Thoughts: Four Seasons Resort Anguilla is the epitome of modern resort luxury. It’s a perfect destination for anyone seeking a blend of relaxation, adventure, and top-notch service in one of the Caribbean’s most stunning locations. Whether you’re looking to unwind on the beach, savor world-class dining, or explore the island, this resort delivers it all. My time at Four Seasons Anguilla was truly unforgettable, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking for a slice of paradise.

Preferred Partner Perks when you book with That Blonde Travels:

Daily Breakfast for 2
Resort Credit
Early check-in/late check-out *based on availability
Upgrade on arrival *based on availability

You can send me an email for a quote at Lauren@ThatBlondeTravels.com or use my VIP Booking Link (Send me a quick email to get the password).

 
IMPRESSIONS ISLA MUJERES
 
Impressions Isla Mujeres

Back in May, my husband and I went to check out the brand new Impressions Isla Mujeres! This hotel was just voted “Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World” and boy did it deliver!

It’s hard to look anywhere without having a picturesque setting or view. We loved the ambience of this property and it’s small boutique feel.

This resort is located in Isla Mujeres, about a 40 minute boat ride over from the Cancun dock. Take an easy flight into Cancun, grab your airport transfer, and then head to the resorts dock to get on the included ride over to Isla Mujeres.

An all-inclusive, adults only resort that makes you question wether it actually is all inclusive due to the quality of food and drinks.

Impressions Isla Mujeres
Impressions Isla Mujeres
Impressions Isla Mujeres

We stayed in the Paramount Suite Ocean Front. This room was HUGE and beautiful. It had a separate living space with a full bar and a separate bathroom. We also loved that the room had a ceiling fan, a rare find at resorts in Mexico.

Another perk of this resort is the ability to make restaurant reservations prior to your stay. One of my biggest pet peeves is arriving to a resort and them only allowing reservations once on site, or not at all.

Impressions Isla Mujeres

For my clients, my VIP amenities are as follows:

Upgrade on arrival (based on availability)
Early check-in/late check-out (based on availability)

I would love to book this fabulous property for you today! Send me an email at lauren@thatblondetravels.com or fill out my contact form to get started!

This resort is definitely on par with some of the other amazing 5* all inclusive resorts in the Mexican Riviera Maya!


 
One&Only Mandarina
 

C/O O&O Mandarina

I just returned from our annual exchange with my host agency, Departure Lounge, where we spent 4 nights at the Conrad Punta Mita and then ended our trip with an AMAZING stay at the fairly new One&Only Mandarina right outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

What is a host agency you might ask? Think of me like a realtor. Realtors work with a broker for their clients that help with relations and licensing. This is what Departure Lounge is to me. They are one of the best know host agencies in the business and are amazing for supplier relations. What does this mean to you? It means that because we have such great relationships with our suppliers they want to make sure our guests are the happiest. I love working with Departure Lounge as well as all of our VIP partners to make sure that my guests and clients have amazing vacations that they deserve!

Anyways, back to One&Only Mandarina!

This resort opened in 2021 in a new complex called Mandarina, right outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is a quick 45 minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport so that you are in paradise before you know it! This property felt more like Costa Rica to me than Mexico and I loved it. A beautiful mix of jungle that meets the sea!

We stayed in the Ocean View Cliff Villa during our stay. The great thing about this property are that all rooms are villa/suite type accommodations so even the entry level rooms are a great size and still perfect for a family. Kids under 12 years of age are not allowed to stay in the treehouse suites due to safety reasons. That being said, I think this is a fabulous resort for kids! The kids club is so cool with a treehouse and a butterfly garden as well as an indoor area for arts and crafts and fun play. They also have several pools around the property with the Jetty Beach Club being the best for children in my opinion. If you are wanting a more adult only vibe, there is an adult only pool that is much quieter with no kiddos in site!

There is a Rosewood that is planned to open in 2025 that will also be apart of the Mandarina complex similar to the Mayakoba complex in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area. It will connect to the Mandarina beach club and you will be able to “dine around”. I can’t wait to go back and check out this property when it opens.

For my clients, my VIP amenities are as follows:

Daily breakfast for 2
$100 resort credit
Upgrade on arrival (based on availability)
Early check-in/late check-out (based on availability)

I would love to book this fabulous property for you and your family today! Send me an email at lauren@thatblondetravels.com or fill out my contact form to get started!


 
HOTEL XCARET ARTE: EATING AT RESTAURANT CHINO POBLANO
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: View from Casa Artista

EATING AT HOTEL XCARET ARTE: RESTAURANT CHINO POBLANO

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

My husband and I just finished an amazing stay at the brand new adults-only all inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. It was seriously one of the most amazing all inclusive experiences that I have ever had! (and that’s saying something as I have been to a ton of all inclusive resorts haha!) This post is just about their amazing Chinese-Mexican fusion restaurant, Chino Poblano.


Chino Poblano

We experienced an 8 course tasting menu developed by Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna that was so amazing and unique. It was such an awesome experience and the food presentation, wow!

To start, the welcome drink, Chinchin (lichi margarita), reminded me of a mango lassi, it was so good! The shot was a Green tea Tepache with rice wine and green tea powder.

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano. Welcome drink
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

courses 1, 2, and 3

Edamame with macha and roasted onion oil. Walnut foie with walnut sauce praline and soya caramel. And candy balls with mezcal that almost killed me haha!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

COURSE 4

Ceviche marinated in a sweet and sour sauce. This was topped with chicharrón (a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly) like a tortilla.

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

COURSE 5

Grilled bao topped with a duck and almond mole stuffed with pork. The almond mole was so flavorful - my mouth is watering as I type this!

This was probably my favorite course along with the ramen!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

course 6

Grilled marrow roasted with five spices on a bed of smoked chileatole and escamole (chileatole - thick soup made of corn masa or corn kernels, which is cooked with corn chunks, epazote, salt, and a sauce made of chili peppers and pumpkin leaves.)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

COURSE 7

Guata Ramen: huatepe broth with lamb from Cuetzalan

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

COURSE 8

Peking duck with mole poblano and plum sauce, accompanied by fresh corn tortillas, Chinese crepes and chives. Garnishments were Bok Choy with pumpkin sprouts, sesame praline and corn smut and a Potato froth with Pao Kai, crispy potato and onion ash.

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

DESSERT

For dessert we had a lemon (Yin Yang) filled with bitter chocolate with soya, sesame seeds, eggnog and caramel. The five EL PARIÁN CANDIES were Borrachito jellybean, Brittle soya bar, Coconut candy, Eggnog marshmallow, and Xcaret fortune cookie.

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano

Did I mention how beautiful this resort is??

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Main pool

If you are contemplating a trip to the new Hotel Xcaret Arte, then DO IT ASAP! You will NOT regret it! You can find a link to the full menu for Chino Poblano. They also have a separate menu for dining for an additional charge. You can find that here.

I do recommend using a travel agent when booking as you are supporting a small business and secondly, the resort is very confusing during the booking process. Also, there are so many added things that you are unaware of when booking yourself, so save a headache and let someone else do all the work for you!

If you have been to Xcaret Arte, what was your favorite restaurant? You can also find my full review here as well as my post on the restaurant Arenal here.


 
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HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby

HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!


To start I just want to say how AMAZING this hotel was and I CANNOT wait to return! Also, I was not paid for this review nor was the hotel for free. We actually used credit card points for this booking.

My husband and I just finished our stay at the brand new adults-only all-inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. We booked the Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos Room in Casa Artistas. Our room was number 2615.

I definitely recommend to use a travel advisor when booking this property! Seriously, there is so much that is included and so much to know about this property that a travel advisor will be super helpful to you! (And you’re supporting a small business, win-win!)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

We arrived at the airport in Cancun and met with the Xcaret hotel representatives that were waiting outside the terminal for us. Transportation is included with your stay at both Xcaret Arte and Xcaret Mexico. If you book in Casa Artistas, then you receive a private transfer for your stay that is in a Mercedes mini-van. The ride was super comfy! From the moment we arrived, to the moment that we were in the van and on our way, it was probably 5 minutes. We were also offered refreshments for the journey! (It would be nice if they had some beer, but alas, they did not!) The transfer from the Cancun airport is about a 45 minute drive depending on traffic.

 
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Upon arrival at Xcaret Arte, we were greeted by the bell boys that took our luggage. Next, we were escorted by a personal concierge that welcomed us. She took us to grab a freshly made popsicle and then showed us to our room where we were greeted by our two butlers, Roberto and Jose. Roberto and Jose welcomed us and privately checked us into our room (inside of our room). We were then given a room tour and shown where everything was and how to work everything. The amenities that were offered in our suite were great. Our luggage was delivered to our room immediately after checking in. Roberto and Jose, our butlers, were amazing throughout our stay and were so helpful with every request that we had! The very first night, they walked us to our first dinner reservation at Tah-Xido as we had just arrived and had no clue how to get around the resort. They were awesome!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Premium liquor in Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos in Casa Artistas

Pro-tip: email the hotel to make your restaurant and park reservations 30 days before your stay! (If you are using a travel advisor, then they can do that for you!)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Tah-Xido Restaurant
 

The first night, we had dinner at Tah-Xido. We chose to do the hibachi, but I would love to go back and try just their normal menu. The hibachi was so delicious and my husband even liked it (he doesn’t care for hibachi)! It was probably the best hibachi that I’ve had at a resort!

The next day we chose to relax at the rooftop exclusive pool that is just for guests of the Artist building. They had so many pool servers it was crazy! The bartender made me a delicious drink, a cucumber spritz, and Jazmin and Maria were amazing at constantly keeping us hydrated and fed. The Artist pool has a menu of poolside snacks that you can order. The chicken tacos were delicious and so was the guacamole!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests
Hotel Xcaret Arte: View Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Sunrise view from Ocean Front Jr Suite in Casa Artistas
 

We didn’t experience any of the parks unfortunately (they are all included in your stay with the hotel as well as transfers) because we have a newborn at home so we used this time alone to recuperate. Xcaret has 8 adventure parks that are included with your stay. The thing to know is that some of these can be reserved by emailing the concierge 30 days before your stay while others do not require a reservation. Xcaret, Xplor, and Xplor Fuego do not require a reservation while the other parks do. Also, Xcaret and Xel Ha parks have optional extras that are not included in the ticket price of admission. These optional excursions have to be booked and reserved for a specific time at the park.


RESTAURANTS

The other restaurants that we ate at were Arenal, Encanta, Kibi-Kibi, Cayuko, and Chino Poblano. (you can see my blog post here on Arenal). Arenal was seriously amazing (we ate there twicelol!). Feel free to see what we ate and my thoughts in full detail in the blog post. Arenal had just opened a week before we arrived so the service was a little slower than I would’ve like (it took us 2 hours to eat) during our first visit. Also, this restaurant was outside and there was no breeze because the wind was blocked by the lagoon. I also got eaten up by mosquitos, but the hostess had bug spray so it was all good!

Encanda and Chino Poblano are both tasting menus. They are super accommodating with food allergies and specific diets (e.g. vegetarian). Chino Poblano was my favorite as it was a Chinese Mexican fusion that melded into such amazing flavors (the mole sauce – omg yum!). Encanta was an 11 course tasting menu that was also fantastic! I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was eating like this at an all-inclusive resort!

 

We had breakfast at Kibi-Kibi, Mercado San Juan, and Cayuko.

Kibi-Kibi is such a unique experience and exclusive to the guests that are staying in Casa Artista. The chilaquiles were so fresh and flavorful and the almond pancakes were amazing! Mercado San Juan is so beautifully decorated and has a ton of options to choose from. We loved it here! Cayuko was our least favorite. It was just a buffet by the main pool and they didn’t have a ton of breakfast options available. Also, it felt as if there were not enough servers.

Restaurant Kibi-Kibi

Restaurant Kibi-Kibi

Additionally, another really cool thing is that this resort has a speakeasy! They have nightly entertainment and the area is huge! It was a really fun adventure to try and find the speakeasy too.

Lastly, check out was a breeze and made super simple by our butlers! They had the bell boys come to our room and grab our luggage and then they escorted us to checkout from our building. We were then taken to the front of the hotel and placed into our private transfer for the return trip to the airport. We were so sad to leave the resort and we cannot wait to go back!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby

If you made it to the end of this review, congrats, haha! Check back soon for my guide to this resort!

Again, I cannot recommend enough to use a travel advisor when booking this property. As you can tell there are a ton of things to know! If you don’t have one, you can reach out to me and I would be happy to help you book. My email is lauren@thatblondetravels.com!


 
 
 
HOTEL XCARET ARTE: EATING AT RESTAURANT ARENAL
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: view from jr suite oceanfront room in Casa Artistas

EATING AT HOTEL XCARET ARTE: RESTAURANT ARENAL

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal

My husband and I just finished an amazing stay at the brand new adults-only all inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. It was seriously one of the most amazing all inclusive experiences that I have ever had! (and that’s saying something as I have been to a ton of all inclusive resorts haha!) This post is just about their comfort food restaurant, Arenal, but a full review post on the resort will follow shortly!

ARENAL

This was some of the best food that I’ve ever eaten in my life. (Seriously!) The burger was so good that I had it again the very next day!

Every restaurant had a special welcome drink and Arenal was no different. They brought out a special watermelon spritzer that was so refreshing and not too sweet or too watermelon-y. My husband actually enjoyed it and he hates watermelon!

 

For starters, the chef prepares a special sample that is different everyday. Ours was a fresh shrimp mixed in a spicy sauce, layered with a piece of dragon fruit on top, and placed on a piece of jícama.

It is also important to mention that this resort does an amazing job of dealing with food preferences. They have a vegan restaurant and have alternatives for the tasting menus that don’t involve meat! I thought this was so awesome!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal daily chef prepared starter

Appetizers that we ordered:

Black Cocktail - Chiapas shrimp with cocktail sauce and avocado. This was so yummy! The cocktail sauce was a mix of like a spicy mole sauce. I really enjoyed the unexpected twist on a traditional cocktail sauce that normally comes with shrimp cocktail.

Yellowfin Tuna - this was a yellowfin sashimi served in a lime emulsion sauce and topped with pickled green papaya and pumpkin seeds

Tubers - vegetables sautéed with a pumpkin seed and coriander and served topped with pine nuts on a bed of honey ricotta pesto. Magnifique!

Grilled corn - fresh grilled corn that was topped with a dry chili mayonnaise and fresh cheese. They had this precut into shareable portions that made eating this very easy!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktailr
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktail, tubers, yellowfin tuna
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktail, tubers, yellowfin tuna
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer grilled corn elotes

MAIN COURSE

My husband ordered the roasted chicken with white recado and the French fries. The fries reminded me of those potato sticks in a jar from when I was little lol. The herb infused olive-oil on the side was my favorite over the gravy. I ordered the burger (two days in a row!) that was topped with caramelized onions and mozzarella cheese. The sauce that was on the burger was so smoky in flavor that the onions and cheese just all blended so deliciously together. It was divine. The fresh potato wedges were like the super yummy ones that you get at a gas station, but make it fancy! I really enjoyed dipping them into the olive oil that was a little spicy in flavor.

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal main course roasted chicken
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal main course beef hamburger

DESSERT

My favorite dessert by far was the Maria cookies with soft toffee! This was served with a homemade popsicle. The other desert was a corn sponge cake with salty caramel sauce and Dutch cheese ice cream. I didn’t care for this one as it was a little salty and I was not a fan of the texture.

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert corn sponge cake
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert maria cookies with soft toffee
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert maria cookies with soft toffee

If you are contemplating a trip to the new Hotel Xcaret Arte, then DO IT ASAP! You will NOT regret it! You can find a link to the full menu for Arenal here.

I do recommend using a travel agent when booking as you are supporting a small business and secondly, the resort is very confusing during the booking process. Also, there are so many added things that you are unaware of when booking yourself, so save a headache and let someone else do all the work for you!


 
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GREECE LUXURY HOTELS
 
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TOP LUXURY HOTELS IN GREECE

Disclaimer: This Luxury Greece Hotels List contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

ATHENS

ATHENS CAPITAL CENTER HOTEL

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PAROS

PARILIO

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MYKONIAN UTOPIA RESORT


Contact me to plan your Greece getaway today!


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TRAVELING WITH A BABY: BEACH EDITION
 
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Traveling with an infant requires a ton of preparation and planning. We have taken two trips with our infant now to Mexico. Here are the things that we used most while at the beach and I would say are essential to enjoying your vacation!

Disclaimer: This Beach Baby Packing List contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!


ESSENTIALS TO BUY IF YOU DON’T ALREADY OWN THEM

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ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST


Download your free checklist here!


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