The entrance of the 45 Park Lane Hotel, London, a Forbes Five-Star hotel
If you're planning a trip to London in the near future, Forbes Travel Guide has some insight to share. The international star-rating company released its first ever star-ratings for London last week, and the results are nothing short of luxurious.

In total, London brought eight Five-Star ratings to the city, ranking London in the top five cities with the greatest Five-Star concentrations (New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Shanghai round out the top five in the world).

The six luxury hotels in London with Five-Star ratings are:

• 45 Park Lane
• Claridge’s
• Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
• The Dorchester
• The Lanesborough
• The Savoy

Luxury is limitless, especially when it blends the best of all words: travel and retail. So when French crystal company Baccarat announced it was planning to open high-end residences, hotels and spas, luxury lovers around the world perked up.

In a statement released by Baccarat, the company plans to open six hotels, resorts and residences by 2016. The locations have been set:

• Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York (2014, shown right)
• Baccarat Hotel & Residences at Dubai Pearl in UAE (2016)
• Baccarat Residences Shanghai in China (2016)
• Baccarat Hotel Rabat, Morocco (2014)
• Baccarat Spa Resort Marrakech (2015)
• Baccarat Resort & Residences Marrakech (2016)

Some of America's finest beers are crafted here in New England. To help bring beer lovers together, the BrewInn was created - an opportunity for beer lovers to embrace travel while taste-testing their way through different brews.

New England Inns & Resorts is made up of nearly 250 properties, many of which have their own breweries or pubs, or have tapped into the local craft beer movement in their area. The BrewInn offerings vary by property, but sample packages include:

Stressed? Maybe stressed? A little stressed? If you're feeling even the slightest bit off this month, Eventi, A Kimpton Hotel, has an overnight package for you.

April is National Stress Awareness Month and what better place to blow off some steam than in New York City? Eventi, A Kimpton Hotel, is offering stress level reduction packages to help keep your stress levels in check. Depending on where your stress level is - high, medium or low - you can enjoy a tech-free room, aromatherapy or yoga in your room.

Here's a breakdown of the deals:

In the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedies, airlines and hotels are waiving cancellation and trip change fees for travelers. If you're in Boston, or you have plans to travel to Boston, here is a list of phone numbers to call for travel changes:

AIRLINES

American Airlines: 1-800-433-7300
AirTran: Call 800-AIR-TRAN (800-247-8726)
Delta: 800-221-1212
JetBlue: 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583)
Southwest Airlines: 1-800-435-9792
United Airlines: 800-864-8331
US Airways: 800-428-4322
Virgin America: 1.877.359.8474

HOTELS

Hotels are also waiving fees for last-minute re-bookings. Here's a list of the major hotel groups and their phone numbers:

Fairmont Hotels: 800-527-4727
Four Seasons: 800-332-3442
Hilton Hotels: 800-445-8667
Hyatt Hotels: 800-233-1234
InterContinental Hotels: 800-327-0200
Kimpton: 800-546-7866
Marriott: 800-831-1000
Preferred Hotels: 800-323-7500
Ritz-Carlton: 800-241-3333
Sheraton Hotels: 800-325-3535
W Hotels: 877-946-8357
Westin Hotels: 800-325-3535
Wyndham Hotels: 800-545-5545

The most important thing at this point is your safety.

If your travel plans are cancelled, or if you need to change your travel plans, rest assured you'll be able to do this with ease.

Watch this space and I'll keep you updated on any more information about travel as it happens.

Ever wondered where Chef Daniel Boulud likes to dine in New York? Or what chocolatier Katrina Markoff craves with her desserts? Or, what spices mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim hides in his hidden cocktails?

Startle.com, the online ratings site for Forbes Travel Guide, recently named their top 40 "Tastemakers" to watch in 2013, and the list will have you salivating for more.

What's a Tastemaker, you wonder? These are the people who make travel a little more delicious. They are your favorite chefs, bartenders, pastry perfectionists, sommeliers and all things epicurean. They are also the ones who create the atmosphere and environment that you enjoy - from barstools to lighting and flatware. They are the ones responsible for wishing you were back at your favorite restaurant, bar or hotel.

Who are some of these Tastemakers?

Healthy eating is a priority for most parents, but how do you keep kids noshing on healthy snacks when on vacation? More hotels are offering healthy food options for kids and families, giving parents a sense of relief when it comes to curbing appetites on-the-go.

JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts just announced its partnership with nationally recognized nutritionist and author Keri Glassman to create a new JW Kids Menu. This kids menu is meant to help kids build healthy eating habits while traveling, said the hotel group.

“With kids’ food choices becoming increasingly diverse, we are looking to create dining options that are fresh, healthy and imaginatively tasty,” said Mitzi Gaskins, vice president & global brand manager for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts. “These items will not only delight kids from a culinary standpoint, but will also let parents know the JW Marriott brand cares about the well-being of their entire family.”

There's luxury travel, and then there's "dreams come true" in luxury travel. This post has a little bit of both.

Imagine walking into your luxury hotel room in the heart of the one of the most fashionable cities in America and finding a closet, pre-stocked, with your favorite designer labels in your size and style. Heaven. In a hotel. All for you.

That's the concept from Miami's newest luxury resort, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort and Residences, and their partnership with Neiman Marcus.

The new service is a spin on the traditional idea of personal shopping. Neiman Marcus, which is located directly across the street from the resort in the trendy Bal Harbour Shops, will personally style a guest's closet in advance of their stay, with items hand-picked from that guest or chosen directly from a Neiman Marcus personal stylist, based on guests' taste and preferences.

Want to travel the world? Have one million dollars to drop? If yes to both, there's a trip waiting for you and it's quite possibly the first of its kind, and the world's most expensive.

Pursuitist, luxury blog dishing about all things opulent, published the details of this trip, which includes a two-year travel package for two people that hits all of the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites for $1.5 million. Here's what the blog had to say:

The luxury trip will take in all of UNESCO’s spectacular 962 World Heritage Sites, including the Taj Mahal in India, the pyramids in Egypt and the Forbidden City in China as well as less internationally known sights such as the painted timber houses in Halsingland, Sweden and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in the US state of Illinois.

In total the trip will span 157 countries and take two years, during which time the couple will stay in hotels such as Sandy Lane in Barbados, Hotel George V in Paris and The Plaza in New York.

As part of the package, a donation of $7,500 will be made to UNESCO during the trip.

Check out all the details from Pursuitist.com.

Readers: If you had $1 million, where would you travel to?

How often do you book travel from your mobile device? If you're one of the on-the-go travelers that's setting the trend in mobile experiences, you should think about downloading the apps from Southwest Airlines, Choice Hotels and Marriott - they're raking tops from frequent travelers.

According to the ForeSee Mobile Satisfaction Index: Travel Edition, Southwest Airlines was given top marks (82 out of 100) for providing the best mobile experience. Choice Hotels (80) and Marriott (79) rounded out the top three mobile performers.

“Southwest’s simple, friendly, and no-frills approach to doing business translates well in the air as well as online. No assigned seats and no fees for baggage help to simplify the process for the consumer, which no doubt contributes to a more satisfying mobile experience,” said Eric Feinberg, ForeSee senior director of mobile.

The index is a study of the mobile experiences of 25 major airlines, hotels, online travel agencies, and car rental companies.

The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Boston is looking to spruce up its cocktail menu. The search for a new signature martini is on, and the Bristol is taking to social media for the drink of choice

If you make a mean martini, The Bristol Lounge Bar wants to hear about it. The bar has always ben known for serving up Boston’s best martinis and switching up their cocktail menu seasonally, but now the bar looking for one martini that will remain: The Bristol Martini.

Think you have a flare for mixology? Create your own Bristol Martini and submit it through Facebook. The Bar is hosting a martini contest from now through April 9, 2013, and the winner will receive a year of complimentary appetizers, and his/her name on the menu at the Bristol Lounge.

Here's how you can enter:

The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in California will celebrate Earth Hour this Saturday.

This Saturday, Ritz-Carlton hotels, resorts, clubs and residences around the world will shut off the lights for one hour in recognition of Earth Hour. The Earth Hour homage is part of the hotel company's commitment to Community Footprints (, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company’s social and environmental responsibility program.

If you're staying at a Ritz-Carlton on Saturday, prepare to go dark at 8:30pm local time. Some hotels are celebrating with special Earth Hour events, including:

Planning summer travel with the kids? FamilyFun magazine has some great places for you to consider. The family-activity magazine recently announced its top destinations and attractions, as voted on by families. The list is featured in the magazine's April issue.

Top 10 Overall Favorite Family Destinations:

1. Yellowstone National Park (WY, MT, ID)
2. Acadia National Park (ME)
3. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (NM)
4. Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
5. Mount Rushmore National Memorial (SD)
6. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (MI)
7. Yosemite National Park (CA)
8. Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park (FL)
9. Glacier National Park (MT)
10. Pearl Harbor Visitor Center/USS Arizona Memorial (HI)

Some mornings, waiting for the T just to find it's packed full of people and you have to wait another 10 minutes for another train and hope there's space available, just gets old. Add in some rain and snow, and it's downright infuriating.

So there I was, tweeting my frustrations from my local MBTA station, when lo and behold, the cheerful team at Virgin Atlantic appeared!

Well, not with the click of my heels, but not far from it, either. Turns out the team from across the pond is scouring Twitter for frustrated potential flyers, hoping to add some cheer to their day. Here's what happened:

If you're planning to read your nuptials in New England, Forbes Travel Guide has some suggestions for you. While the Boston Commons and Boston Public Gardens are often the most popular spots for wedding photos in the spring and summer, the four- and five-star hotels in the city are where weddings typically hold court.

Forbes rates The Four Seasons, Boston, as one of the top wedding venues in Boston. The hotel offers panoramic views of Boston Common and the Boston Garden, and has private bridal and bridesmaid suites for day-of preparations. The hotel also has a wedding package that includes a honeymoon suite, as well as transportation to the airport on the day of your departure.

The Mandarin Oriental, Boston, gives wedding guests great views of Back Bay and Boylston Street. For the wedding party, the hotel offers spa packages as part of the wedding event.

Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa in California just joined Marriott's Autograph Collection

Marriott's Autograph Collection, the portfolio of independent boutique properties, is adding five new hotels to their trendy portfolio.

Startle.com, the website for Forbes Travel Guide, published the news today. The collection will welcome in three new hotels, including two new builds. Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa and Hotel Adagio are the first of the collection in California, and the hip and historic Hotel Blackhawk, located in Davenport, Iowa, also joins the collection. The new builds are Pier South in Imperial Beach and the Triada Palm Springs. With the new additions, the Autograph Collection inches closer to its plans for reaching 50 hotels in the portfolio by year end.

Here's a little more about the hotels:

Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa just completed a $ 26 million dollar renovation. The resort features 162 guest rooms and 11 suites, a spa and full service salon and fitness studio. Fine dining takes place lakeside at BIN189 and there’s a coffee shop, Mountain Aroma, just off the lobby.

Hotel Adagio is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square. Each of the 171 rooms and suites are designed in a modern décor, and The Mortimer - the hotel's bar - was voted one of the city's best bars and night spots.

Hotel Blackhawk also just completed a multimillion-dollar renovation, and today includes a new spa and salon, as well as a retro-chic bowling alley, “Blackhawk Bowl”.

Visit Startle.com for more information on the new Autograph Collection hotels.

The Nantucket Wine Festival is one of the nation’s most celebrated wine and food events, and a favorite escape for Boston wine enthusiasts.

The festival kicks off its 17th year on May 15 for 4 nights, featuring a schedule filled with celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, tastings, seminars, symposia, auctions, world class wines and a special charity gala.

The place to be Nantucket's landmark hotel, The White Elephant, which will host many of the wine festival events including The Grand Tastings (new for 2013) and Harbor Gala. The White Elephant and sister properties White Elephant Village and The Wauwinet are offering weekend packages including overnight accommodations, event tickets, dinners at Brant Point Grill and TOPPER’S, as well as Bloody Mary-fueled brunches.

I have fond memories of flying when I was a little girl. My mom would ensure my sister and I were dressed up and had something warm to take on the plane, double check that our favorite stuffed animals and travel games were packed (Mad Libs for me, coloring books for my sister), and get us to the airport in plenty of time so we could watch the people come and go.

We'd board the plane, fight over who got the window seat, and meet the cabin crew. If we asked nicely, we could go visit the pilot and even get a pair of wings to pin our clothes and show off to our friends when we returned home. We counted the clouds in the sky, and wondered how close are were to the stars. Flying was a delight. It was exciting and thrilling. It was civilized, dignified and something to look forward to. Flying made travel fun.

While flying has certainly changed over the years - even I can admit it's not as fun as it was when we were kids - the team at Virgin Atlantic aims to bring back a little of the glory days of flying.

I checked into my flight to London and was handed a red card with directions to the lounge on it. I had about two and a half hours before my evening flight and wanted to grab a bite, check emails, and freshen up. The Virgin Atlantic lounge is located in Terminal E on the bottom level, just next to the Aer Lingus lounge and below the gates. In true Virgin style, the lounge made a fashionable first impression.

Marriott International is bringing its moxy to the hotel world. Literally.

A new website from Marriott introduces MOXY HOTELS, the newest 3-star-tier segment for Marriott is focused on the millennial traveler. According to the website, MOXY will be "the potency of style, innovation and tech-savvyness."

Marriott's MOXY will debut in Italy, with the first MOXY HOTEL expected to open in Milan in early 2014. Berlin, London and Frankfurt MOXY HOTELS will follow. According to a press release, Marriott plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS in Europe over the next 10 years. An article from the International Business Times says Marriott will work with Inter IKEA Group, the parent company of the IKEA furniture stores, IKEA to help develop the hotels and guest rooms. The rooms will be priced around $80 (€60).

What can you expect from MOXY? Marriott says:

Need to renew your passport, sign up for a new passport, or get your family their own passports? National Passport Day is this Saturday, March 9, giving busy travelers and work-life balancers an opportunity to check off this important to-do.

Interestingly, however, you won't be getting your passport at an official passport agency. Due of the budget sequestration, Department of State Passport Agencies will not be participating in National Passport Day, according to the State Department website. However, non-Department of State Passport Acceptance Facilities, such as post offices, clerks of court, and libraries will participate.

National Passport Day happens twice a year and was set up to make getting or renewing passports a little simpler. On this day, U.S. citizens can forgo the required appointment and simply stop by their local passport agency to sign up or renew their passport.

According to the U.S. Department of State, "Convenient Saturday hours ensure most parents don't have to miss work to apply for their child's U.S. passport. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to an agency or participating acceptance facility where there will be special activities for children."

Feel like doing something a little different this St. Patrick's Day, but don't want to give up all the green-pride that goes on in Boston? Kimpton Hotels of Boston has the solution: the Nine Zero, Hotel Marlowe and Onyx Hotel are offering St. Paddy's Day packages that include the best of Boston's Irish roots with a little luxury living.

In addition to Dropkick Murphy tickets and Celtics tickets, the package also includes:

• Deluxe accommodations for two people
• Car service to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston on Sunday, 3/17
• In-room greasy breakfast on Monday morning
• Hangover survival kit
• A Pot of Gold – (The pot of gold includes, two tickets to Dropkick Murphy’s on Friday night, 3/15, and two tickets to the Celtics game on Saturday, 3/16)
• Late check-out

This weekend package is only available March 15-17. Nightly rates start at $749. Book online or call 1-800-Kimpton and mention rate code LUCKY.

If you're a fan of The Bristol Lounge you've likely enjoyed a few Fizzy Friday's in the bar, sipping on Champagne and nibbling on amuse bouche du jour. Now, the Champagne-soaked Fridays are getting kicked up a notch with First Fridays, a new promotion taking place at the Four Seasons Boston.

First Fridays happens on the first Friday of each month, and The Bristol Lounge will turn into a Champagne bar in which the bar's favorite Champagne labels will be on hand to pour bubbly from 5:30-7:00 pm.

First Fridays kicks off on Friday, March 1st with Louis Roederer, who will be pouring Louis Roederer Vintage and Louis Roederer Estate L’Ermitage at The Bristol Lounge. As a guest, you'll enjoy complimentary sips of champagne as well as some gourmet bites.

Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod is the newest Mass. hotel to join the Forbes Travel Guide Star List

Looking for the best of the best in hotels, restaurants and spas? The annual Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings List was released this morning, highlighting the properties around the world that hold the coveted stars.

In Massachusetts, Blantyre Resort, Boston Harbor Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Boston, and Mandarin Oriental, Boston lead the pack of Five-Star hotels. Four-Star hotels include XV Beacon and the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common. Joining the rank of Four-Star properties this year is the Chatham Bars Inn, including its spa and restaurant.

The Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards recognize exceptional hotels, restaurants and spas around the world. This year, the list also includes Forbes Travel Guide "recommended" hotel, restaurants and spas. These are properties that haven't been given a star rating, but that "provide guests with a strong sense of location, whether through style or function," according to Forbes. For the complete list of Five- and Four-Star properties around the world, click here. Below are the highlights from New England:

How many times have you walked into a hotel and thought to yourself, "I've seen this somewhere before..." Hotels are commonly the backdrop for many movie shoots, and with Oscar night just a few nights away, we thought we'd take a look at a few of our favorites.

Just in time for the Academy Awards, and in honor of the The Leading Hotels of the World's 85th anniversary, the hotel group released their list of hotels that starred in some of our favorite major motion pictures.

You likely know that The Bellagio was site of one of the most beloved crime-comedies of 2001, "Ocean Eleven", but did you know that The Ritz London was one of the interiors used in the romantic comedy, "Notting Hill", or that over 100 items from Room 512 of Ritz Paris was recreated for Tom Hanks' thriller "The DaVinci Code"?

The new LHW website, www.lhw.com/InTheMovies, features 85 different hotels that made an appearance in iconic films throughout time. I captured a few of my favorites in the photos below. Grab the Good-n-Plenty's, pop your popcorn, and check out how many look familiar to you.

The grand dam on the fashionable Avenue Montaigne in Paris is taking luxury style to a new level as it prepares to celebrate its 100th birthday.

Since Plaza Athénée's opening in April 1913, it fast became a melting pot for the fashion elite, international diplomats and luxury travelers from around the world. It's been home to Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Jacqueline Kennedy and Hollywood A-listers including Josephine Baker, Grace Kelly and more. Christian Dior first set up his couture salon here, and Chanel, Nina Ricci, Chloe, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton soon followed with stores on the trendy Avenue Montaigne. Today, the Avenue Montaigne is synonymous with designer luxury, and the Plaza Athénée is the meeting point for French hospitality and Parisian glamour.

I recently visited the hotel during a trip to Paris. The rooms are draped in elegant adornments such as bronze lamps and crystal chandeliers. While some of the carpets, drapery and fabrics look tired, it's all part of a magical mystique that floats through the hallways of this enchanting hotel. The rooms overlook either the Eiffel Tower or the Plaza Athenee's own garden, which becomes an ice rink in winter (see more photos below).

One of the hotel's signature suites. Here, the living room windows perfectly frame the Eiffel Tower.

Plaza Athénée is the place to stay if you fall to extremes. The see-and-be-seen crowd will love the creative cocktails and people watching at Le Bar du Plaza Athénée, while those looking for an escape will appreciate the hotel's spacious rooms, plush bathrobes, and butler service. At Plaza Athénée you can remain front and center, or retreat into a much needed luxury escape.