The beautiful, warm weather in Phoenix/Scottsdale is here to provide for an incredibly relaxing spa experience at the indoor/outdoor Alvadora Spa this spring.  We are now offering the much loved Pamper Pass with a fresh new twist for 2010! 

She always knows the sweetest spots in town, where to go for the latest and greatest, and of course, the very best hotels to stay and play at.  juliB is Modern Luxury's go to girl for all things fabulous (we highly reccommend you sign up for her weekly emails, we love them), and it's time to get to the voting booth to show her a few of your favorite things.

L'Auberge Del Mar is up for Best Resort 2010 - Continental in juliB's 2010 Style Awards and we need your help to win!  If we're among your favorite hotels in the US, we'd so appreciate your vote.  To get voting, you do need to sign up for juliB here.  Once you're in, vote away!

Many thanks for your support from all of us at L'Auberge Del Mar.

Before the ski season is over, escape for the weekend to Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe. The luxury vacation resort is currently touting three Lake Tahoe ski vacation packages; two packages ideal for a couples retreat and one package perfect for the entire family.

We took some high quality video shots up at Paulina Lake yesterday while cross-country skiing. Here are a few lower quality shots with the flip camera. For those unfamiliar with the area, Paulina is 20 minutes south of Sunriver Resort in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. It's about a seven mile loop through mixed conifer forests starting at 5,500 feet and ending up at the Paulina Lake at about 6,300 feet.

View of Lake Tahoe's southwest mountains while snowmobiling the Carson Range

With another spring storm hitting the Northeast, travelers turn their thoughts towards summer - warm weather, cool travel deals and unique experiences.

Terranea Resort, Destination's new resort located just outside Los Angeles, has started the New Year making big news.

Spa lovers will enjoy reading the cover story in current issue of Spa Magazine with eight beautiful pages talking about the experience at The Spa at Terranea.

This was an amazingly idyllic, bluebird Squaw day! I hiked the final 1500' to get this shot- it was definitely worth it.

Today is a perfect Spring Day in Aspen/Snowmass with 6 inches of fresh snow falling in the past 24 hrs. and sunny, bluebird skies. With a foot and a half of snow falling the past week, skiing/riding conditions are excellent.

Thanks to Frank Shine for the awesome photo!

See video shot on March 10 at Resort at Squaw Creek.  Awesome powder on the mountain today!

History has never tasted as chocolaty sweet as it did at the 18th Annual Chocolate Fantasy Chocolatier Competition. The event's theme "A Greek Odyssey" challenged 16 New Mexico pastry chefs and culinary students to create a chocolate rendition of a person, place or event of significance in the Greek Odyssey.

A first year entrant with a passion for chocolate, Luminaria's very own Andrea Clover molded 125 pounds of dark chocolate to create a two and half foot tall rendition of The Deceptive Conqueror scene, which depicted Greek warriors exiting the infamous Trojan Horse and preparing for their surprise attack on the City of Troy. Andrea's chocolate masterpiece took first place in the Best Taste-Most Artistic award in the Restaurant, Caterers and Artists category.

This entry took nearly 200 hours over a three month period to create, but winning first place made it all worth it, said Andrea. The pastry talent New Mexico harbors is amazing, each entry was exquisite. I am humbled to have won among such a talented group of pastry chefs and aspiring students.

Congratulations Andrea! Loretto is very proud of you.

The L'Auberge Green Team is at it again!  We've taken one more step towards going green with a new project in support of endangered animals.

Adding to the plethora of ways to green our lives with ease, we've joined forces with the San Diego Zoo to participate in the Cans for Critters drive.  In honor of Earth Day, L'Auberge is collecting all things recyclable (cans, plastic and glass bottles) to raise money for the Institute for Conservation Research at the Zoo.  This fantastic, enviromentally-safe organization helps provide research for the conservation of animals, plants and habitats in over 35 countries worldwide.

Create a team or go green on your own, and be sure to pack up the family and come out to dote on the "Cans for Critters" Jamboree at the San Diego Zoo on May 15, and Wild Animal Park on May 22.

Cooking expert Ying Chang Compestine shares insight into the secrets of healthy Asian cooking at a fabulously entertaining dinner on March 27 at Resort at Squaw Creek.

Many words have been written about Sunriver’s historic Great Hall, now used as a meeting and wedding venue.  It is the magnificent legacy of Camp Abbot constructed in 1943 by the Army Corps of Engineers.  We know the camp’s Commander, Col. Frank Besson chose his most elite engineers to construct an officers club in the style of a mountain lodge.  We know the engineers and craftsman used over 500 hand-hewn logs and tons of native rock to complete the project. History tells us construction began in October 1943 and was completed in December 1943.  The Army spent a mere $4,796 to obtain materials not available locally.  It was a training exercise for soldiers and engineers bound for the European front. Yes much is known about the stately Great Hall, but one piece of history remains a mystery… What was the Bush Raising Ceremony?

At the Inn and Spa at Loretto, we are committed to serving high quality wines from vineyards and winemakers that have a passion for the sustainable concept. All of our wines need to be interesting and have the qualities that all fine wines display-texture, aroma and flavor. It is very gratifying to realize how many winemakers are producing very drinkable wines that are either sustainable or fully organic.

So what is a sustainable wine?  The easiest thing to remember is that a sustainable wine is produced from grapes grown using sustainable farming practices, which are designed to preserve, protect and enhance the environment. It means the wine in your glass came from a healthy vineyard, from a winery that cares not only about its farming practices, but about its community and the people who work there.

See Loretto’s full wine list, including its sustainable wines.

Destination Hotels & Resorts’ properties continually generate creative ways to help the environment.  All of our properties recycle, but L’Auberge Del Mar recently added another dimension to the positive effects of recycling.  The hotel joined Cans for Critters, a recycling drive hosted by the San Diego Zoo, which collects recyclables and donates the proceeds to the Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.  The Institute is the largest zoo-based multi-disciplinary research effort in the world in which scientists carry out research vital to the conservation of animals, plants and habitats in over 35 countries worldwide.

New innovative dinners offered in Six Peaks Grille.

Russian writer Emma Krasov enjoys a little Tahoe time. 

The Driskill Grill will be offering a $35 menu during Austin's Restaurant Week (February 28- March 3 & March 7-10) .

To make a reservation call (512) 391-7162 or online

To View Menu: Click Here

Wow, what a whirlwind week it's been!  We are more than thrilled to annouce that L'Auberge Del Mar has been honored with three of Ranch & Coast Magazine's 2010 Reader's Choice Best of San Diego awards - two of which were awarded to KITCHEN 1540 and Chef Paul McCabe. Click away for all the details, and to see all of the winners.

Best Local Hotel - L'Auberge Del Mar
Best Chef - Chef Paul McCabe, KITCHEN 1540
Best Restaurant Service - KITCHEN 1540