Book by: ASAP
Travel by: Various through 2008
The deal
Want to brush shoulders with the rich and famous on your next vacation? We’ve scouted deals at top celebrity vacation spots from exotic islands like Fiji and Bora Bora to the chic Caribbean outpost of St. Barts and the slopes of St. Moritz. While it's hard to avoid spending a celebrity's travel budget at these pricey hideaways, you'll be guaranteed a smart splurge, with rates from $422/night at exclusive, pampering holiday hotels.
Turtle Island, Fiji
For celeb-spotting in a romantic tropical setting, Fiji's Turtle Island is the place to go. Famous couples like Britney Spears and Kevin Federline and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey honeymooned at this enchanting spot, one of the world's leading sustainable tourism destinations. You can enjoy anything from a traditional Fijian wedding ceremony and gourmet picnics on one of the island's private beaches to intimate moonlit dinners and horseback riding at dawn. This top luxury resort has only 14 bures (two-room thatched cottages built by Fijian craftsmen) with five-star amenities. All-inclusive stays start at $1,632/night per couple.
Le Méridien Bora Bora
With its islands, lush rainforests, and crowd-free beaches, the South Pacific is a favorite among seclusion-seeking celebrities. A coveted destination among Hollywood stars is Le Méridien Bora Bora, whose noteable guests have included Charlize Theron and Sharon Stone. The 99 tropically themed bungalows either come with a glass-bottomed floor over a spectacular lagoon or are nestled along an ivory-sanded beach shaded by tall coconut trees. At the hotel’s Turtle Sanctuary, guests can swim with hawksbill turtles; other activities include rides in Polynesian outrigger canoes, jet skiing, sailing, shark-feeding and diving. Special rates start at $556/night, with freebies.
Hôtel Guanahani, St. Barts
International illuminati love frolicking on the white-sand beaches of the tony Caribbean island of St. Barts. Unless they sail in on their private yacht or rent a villa (try Wimco for options), many an A-list celeb — Arnold Schwarzenegger among them — have been known to check into the chic Hôtel Guanahani & Spa on a secluded peninsula. Forbes writes “the decor is West Indies with a Provençal touch.” Make sure you sample the fantastic on-site spa and go off property to celeb-spot at St. Barts' haute restaurants like Nikki Beach and Le Mandala. Rates start at $500/night.
Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz
Want to swap sun and tropical cocktails for snow and après-ski fun? Head to St. Moritz in Switzerland, where the global jet-set like to spend their winter vacations. Their favorite place to stay is Badrutt’s Palace, a historic landmark hotel where the famous, rich and beautiful have been laying their heads since 1896. Features include dramatic vistas of the Swiss Alps and exciting nightlife at the Kings Club, where George Clooney reportedly likes to party. Fodor’s writes, “Nowhere in Switzerland will you find more facilities — the hotel even has its own ski school and a private cinema, and now flaunts the Daniela Steiner spa, a disco. ...” Rates here start at $422/night.
More celebrity hideouts
Casa Chameleon, Costa Rica
Sandy Lane, Barbados
Jamaica Inn, JamaicaSpring Creek Ranch, Wyoming
Cap Juluca, Anguilla
The dollars
Regular rates at Turtle Resort are wallet-busting but the property features excellent-value packages on its Web site. For example, book a seven-night stay for two people with roundtrip airfare from L.A. to Fiji and the second person's airfare is complimentary!
At Le Méridien Bora Bora, rates can run north of $900 but a special package we found — a complimentary fifth night and resort credit of $275 (based on a four-night stay in a beach bungalow) — reduces the rates to $556/night.
At Hôtel Guanahani & Spa, the starting B&B rates of $500/night covers a garden-view unit in the low summer season — a good time to go if you want to save a bundle (and you can take advantage of excellent boutique sales). The rest of the year, rates start at $825/night.
At Badrutt’s Palace, the lowest available B&B rates start at $422/night for stays between March 9 and April 5. During the peak winter season, doubles sell for $821 so it’s worth waiting till the high season’s over.
The catch
In order to take full advantage of hotel discounts, you're looking at off-season travel, which means fewer celebrity sightings.
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