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Top 10 Hawaii Hotels
 1. The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui
Celebrated Living readers’ favorite in Hawaii aims to stay that way with a $95 million renovation that will reinvent the resort come year end (the property will close in the second half of the year). The resulting 363 rooms and 107 new condo residences take their design cues from the Maui setting, incorporating rich woods and Hawaiian artwork. In the plans: a new cultural center, teen center, and children’s pool, plus an expanded spa with outdoor patios adjoining many treatment rooms. (800) 241-3333 or (808) 669-6200, www.ritzcarlton.com
 2. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Constant tinkering keeps the Four Seasons in top form on Maui. New this summer, rooms will get a tech upgrade including HDTV and wireless Internet as well as a new, sleek look that showcases locally sourced art. The recently opened restaurant DUO shines for surf and turf. On the pampering front, the spa now offers quick 20- and 40-minute massages poolside as well as facials from L.A.’s acclaimed Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts. (800) 332-3442 or (808) 874-8000, www.fourseasons.com/maui
3. Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Maui
The lavish Grand Wailea, where Oprah Winfrey and staff convened last summer, recently renovated its hotel within the hotel, Napua Tower, which offers private check-in,
gated entrance, dedicated concierge services, and 100
spacious guestrooms. (800) 888-6100 or (808) 875-1234, www.grandwailea.com
4. JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa, Oahu
Now smoke-free and trans-fat reduced, the Ihilani and its thalasso-therapy spa are justly beloved by athletes like Peyton Manning, who has been spotted at the beach. (800) 626-4446 or (808) 679-0079, www.ihilani.com
5. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Kauai
By the end of the year, the spa at the Grand Hyatt Kauai will cover 45,000 square feet — making it Hawaii’s second largest spa — with outdoor soaking pools and thatched-roof huts for massages. (800) 554-9288 or (808) 742-1234, www.grandhyattkauai.com
6. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii
The Big Island’s Four Seasons thinks ahead for you,
dispensing loaner iPods and pre-stamped postcards at the pools. Deluxe suites now boast Bose CD/DVD surround systems, Nespresso coffee makers, and Alora fragrance diffusers. (888) 340-5662 or (808) 325-8000, www.fourseasons.com/hualalai
7. Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
The Hyatt Regency’s top two suites recently underwent a cushy $1 million redesign that makes them feel residential. The new Ocean Odyssey program teaches guests about
local marine ecology and safety. (800) 633-7313 or (808) 661-1234, www.maui.hyatt.com
8. Princeville Resort, Kauai
Upgraded bedding and a new beach concierge managing details for you poolside boost the luxury quotient at this Garden Isle retreat. (800) 826-4400 or (808) 826-9644, www.princevillehotelhawaii.com
9. Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club
Now fully recovered after the floods of 2005, the Kauai Marriott recently debuted its new entryway that welcomes you to the lush 800-acre resort. (800) 220-2925 or (808) 245-5050, www.marriotthawaii.com
10. The Royal Hawaiian, Oahu
The pink palace on Waikiki Beach just turned 80, celebrating with an exhibition of vintage fine-art prints commissioned for the hotel from 1930 to 1950. Recent guests include Eddie Vedder, Samuel Jackson, and Adam Sandler. (866) 716-8140 or (808) 923-7311, www.royal-hawaiian.com
Mainland U.S. | Hawaii | Canada | Mexico/Central America/South America | Caribbean | Europe | Asia | Africa | Australia/New Zeland/South Pacific | U.S. Business | International | Business | Family Resorts | Editor's Picks
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The Platinum List
Isn’t
it great to hear firsthand from a friend about a wonderful travel
experience, complete with tips on where to stay and where to play?
Welcome to the ever-popular Celebrated Living
Readers’ Choice Platinum List, which is like having more than 38,000
friends share their travel preferences in one superb best-of-the-best
list. And what a list it is: 130 luxury hotels, 48 legendary golf
courses, 26 sumptuous spas, and 10 top cruise lines.
Two
highlights of the survey, for me, actually take the form of statistics
— we received 10 percent more entries than last year, and a whopping 79
percent more of you reported you read Celebrated Living regularly. As editor, that’s music to my ears.
For your eyes, our Platinum List has a handsome new design, courtesy of CL’s
talented art director Marilyn Calley. The pages are fresh, engaging,
and filled with images that will make you say “I want to go there,” or,
also fun, “We’ve been there and loved it!” As one reader commented,
“These picks are a mix of places already visited and those I dream of
visiting.” See for yourself, beginning with a handy pullout compilation
list on page 49.
 Of
course, we wanted to entice and reward you for taking the time to weigh
in with your outstanding travel knowledge. Grand Prize winner Henry de
Lagarde is glad he participated. He was randomly chosen to win a
two-year lease on a 2007 Lincoln MKX, MKZ, or Navigator (he chose the
MKZ and is pictured with it here), and 500,000 American Airlines
AAdvantage miles. Ten Second Prize winners received 50,000 miles each.
Quite an incentive, I’d say.
We hope you’ll agree that the rest
of this summer issue is as entertaining and enlightening as the
Platinum List. There’s a feature story on Heidi Klum, a look at
chartering fabulous yachts, five great summer motorcycle rides and
several bikes to enjoy them with, a tour of several cool European
castles, and more. Or, for those weekends when you want to just sit
back and enjoy your own backyard, check out our cocktail story, with
recipes perfect for poolside sipping — and for contemplating where
you’d like to go next.
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