1	Escape Explore two deluxe destinations: the private island of Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos and Las Vegas’ high style for high rollers. read more...
2	Driver’s Seat Two very different, but utterly upscale, takes on the luxury coupe. read more...
3	Fashion Latino designers bring international touches to the worlds of fashion, accessories and furnishings. read more...

Escape

No Ordinary Cay
It’s easy to forget there is a world beyond the horizon when you’re in Parrot Cay, a tiny private island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago.

By Hispanic Magazine Staff

A one-hour flight from Miami, followed by a 35-minute boat ride from Providenciales, lands you in a private hideaway where time stands still, sensory pleasures abound and the rest of the world seems light-years away.
The 1,000-acre isle is wholly owned by COMO Hotels and Resorts, the ultra-luxury brand that also owns the Metropolitan in London and Bangkok, as well as properties in Bali, Cocoa Islands and the Maldives. It’s a fine tradition in high-end hospitality, and it’s evident in every detail of the resort. From extraordinary menus to the cold, freshly scented towels to cool you down during a pool-side lunch, Parrot Cay gives new meaning to exceptional service and pampering.
The resort houses 60 rooms and villas, all designed with beautiful, light, weathered woods and Asian accents that blend perfectly with the deep blue skies and light blue waters surrounding the island. The rooms are located in the main building, which sits in the center of the resort just a short walk from the beach, infinity pool, tennis courts, gym and spa.
The private villas ranging from one, two and three-bed rooms are located right on the beach and are landscaped to offer absolute privacy. These waterfront retreats all feature private pools, a hammock and beautiful teak furniture to lay out and relax.
A central component to the Parrot Cay experience is it’s new spa, COMO Shambhala. Located on a small hill, the spa offers unspoiled views of an untouched part of the island. Faced with the natural beauty, sounds and soft breeze blowing, it’s easy to disconnect and forget your worries.
The spa offers outstanding therapies, including a wide range of massages and skin treatments, as well as stress management sessions and daily yoga classes, among other services. It also features its own menu of healthy choices, available at the hotel’s restaurants or delivered to your room.
Food is without a doubt one of the most attractive features of Parrot Cay—which surprisingly doesn’t have a single Parrot. Instead its name is derived from Pirate Island, since the cay is believed to have been a hiding place for pirate loot. The menus change daily, and whether you choose the more formal dining room in the main resort, or the informal poolside restaurant, you’ll surely be satisfied.
If a short visit is not enough, sales recently restarted on some of the beachfront land on the island, starting at $2.5 million per acre. Regulars such as Donna Karan and Bruce Willis, both of whom own properties on the island, swear by it. Eva Longoria and Tony Parker chose it for their honeymoon.
Obviously this is no ordinary place. If you’re looking for a luxurious getaway, look no further. The little island of Parrot Cay is the perfect place to disconnect, unwind and relax.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

CONTACT: www.Parrotcay.como.bz
Phone: 1-649-946-7788
Toll free: 1-877-754-0726
E-mail: res@parrotcay.como.bz

FLY into Providenciales, in Turks and Caicos, where the hotel will arrange ground transportation to the marina. From there a boat will take you to the resort, located 35 minutes away.

BRING Sunscreen, a bathing suit, and little else.

LEAVE your blackberry, cellphone and PDA. There is no signal on the island. Be prepared to leave the world behind.

GO year-round, but the high season is in the winter months, so plan ahead.

PRICES range from $525 to $6,000 per night during summer months and $760 to $10,000 during winter.

Beyond the Green Felt
Vegas may not be an obvious luxury destination,
but Sin City offers some fine pleasures other than its high-stakes tables.

By Jessica Bohorquez

DISCOVERING the luxurious side of Las Vegas can break the paradigm of what you may have come to expect from Sin City. Visiting it for the first time can be intimidating, especially if slot machines and crowded, smoke-filled casinos are not your thing.
Contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas attracts a large number of visitors who don’t come to try their luck at the tables. And even if they do, there are a number of choices for those who may like gambling, but don’t want to spend most of the time in a casino floor. For such travelers, The Signature, MGM Grand’s new offering, is the perfect place to stay. Contemporary, peaceful and featuring all the amenities a high-end traveler expects, The Signature allows you be at the center of it all without having to pass the slot machine crowds every time you need to go to your room.
In addition, this luxury hotel has a private gated entry, 24-hour concierge service, limo service and in-suite gourmet dining and massages.
If massages are what you’re looking for, Spa Bellagio offers a number of unforgettable treatments. The Raindrop Therapy, for example, includes nine essential oils applied in drops along your back. This kind of relaxation leaves you ready for the next Vegas experience: fine dinning.
In recent years Vegas has seen a number of internationally famous chefs setting up shop at top hotels. There are some wonderful offerings for every taste and budget, but for those who appreciate very fine dinning two choices stand out. First, the six- or 16-course meal at Joël Robuchon, a French master, is a delight. Equally impressive is the AAA Five-Diamond Picasso at Bellagio, which offers a beautiful setting to enjoy Chef Julian Serrano’s extraordinary Mediterranean food.
But Vegas is not just for tourists. Regular visitors and a boom in the number of local residents make up an important part of what you’ll see on the strip, so it’s no surprise that enormous development project are going up all over the place. One particularly luxurious alternative is City Center, which will include high-rise residential living, hotel rooms, restaurants and nightlife, high-end retail stores and a state-of-the-art convention center. It is expected to open in 2009. Vdara Condo Hotel, Veer Towers, the Mandarin Oriental and The Harmon Hotel, Spa and Residences are all participating in this project that promises to take luxury development in Las Vegas to another level.
Younger travelers may enjoy some contact with nature, not something you would typically associate with Las Vegas. At Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, visitors get to watch and interact with dolphins, as well as see the famous white tigers that made the German duo’s show a hit for many years.
As for entertainment, the options are countless. The Cirque du Soleil shows “O,” “Ka” and the sexually charged “Zumanity” are not to be missed.
Did I forget to mention gambling?