BEST LUXURY LINK DEAL?

[luv2traveltoo]

We just got back from a stay at the Inn at Weathersfield. We thought it was a great deal. I read your post and was surprised. It is certainly not a luxury resort - If your looking for a full service resort style vacation this is not the place. But we thought it was very well done and really a nice place. Nice detail in the rooms, robes, nice towels & sheets etc. It is a renovated 1792 building so every room was a little different - we had an opportunity to peek into several of them. We stayed in Upper Falls (the room included in the package) and it appeared that the shower had recently been retiled (it was immaculate) and the jacuzzi was great. We have stayed in some older inns with some pretty bad bathrooms. It looked like most of the rooms had been renovated, but there were still some older style rooms that I probably would not be as happy in. (check when you book and aske for a renovated room)

The star at the place was really the food - the chef is super and the wine list interesting with lots of great fun interesting selections (very cool collection of Oregon Pinot Noir). See if you can get someone to take you down to see the chef's table in the wine cellar - I wish we could have eaten there, but they told us it was reserved for 6 or more...? Our package had a choice of Golf or Massage and we took the massage - which was excellent.

This place is pure New England, from the friendly innkeeper to the fun 'inn dog' I guess what I love about New England inns (we stay in lots of them) is that they all have a distinct personality-maybe this one just wasn't for you. If you are looking for valet parking, concierge and a 'resorty' scene, this is not the place (try a place like the Equinox or The Woodstock Inn) - but we really liked it and I'm going to bid on another package for this winter to go skiing at Okemo.

[paularec]

imbues...be sure i see/read your blog....wd be interested in feedback from others just to see if i am "off base" on this one....i think not. thx, P

[hissmonster]

Well, I don't know if it's a great deal yet as I'm not going until December 1, 2008, but I thought I got a great price on the Cloud Forest Odessey in Costa Rica...if it holds true to the descriptions, I can't believe it will be anything but fantastic. This is my first LL auction and I have been so thrilled with everything thus far that I'm keeping an on-going blog of my own, not here as I haven't figured out how to do that yet, and I'm not so sure you would care to hear me blather on from August to December (lol). I will say this...Nadya Shaw of Costa Rica Expeditions has been fabulous. She has endured my neverending stream of questions and help me decide on package extras to make this trip really special. I am hoping the rest of the staffing will be as exemplary.



I have never participated in an auction before and am still very green on this whole process, but so far everything has been wonderful. I certainly wish I knew about it before I went to Banff!



If anyone has taken this trip, please fill me in! I would love to here about it.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi hissmonster and welcome. Sound like you have a great deal. December 1st won't get here soon enough! What places will you be visiting on the trip? We have visited Costa Rica numerous times and love it! December should be a great month because it is the end of the rainy season and between touristy times.

[paularec]

good to read reply on WI...did see Upper Falls and yes, it was fabulous. i am not sure why it was not offered to us on our pkg as THAT wd have been something!! Ours was upstairs in front and had the lumpiest most uncomfortable bed ever. Also, some guests arrived late one nite and were so loud below us I could have joined their conversation....not cool!! Finbally at 11 pm my husband went and asked for somew quiet which still did not arrive til after midnite. again not cool. I agree on the food and since we don't drink can't appreciate the wine list. Overall i get the old inn thing as we too stay in many. i guess I just think I really overpaid (or at best did not get a "great deal") relative to other pkgs I have bought. Enough said...thanks for writing. PR

[hissmonster]

Bonniejoy03,



It was truly a spur of the moment decision to participate in this auction as I usually overthink everything before I buy....but I have to say I think I did well.



I am so looking forward to it....we are going to...San Jose, Tortuguero and Monteverde. Additionally, there were a variety of optional extras of which I've selected: In Tortuguero: The Village tour in addition to the tour of the park (included) In Monteverde: We are going to see the frogs and the coffee plantation as well as the cloud forest tour (included) In San Jose: We are staying an extra day so we can go to the Volcano.





I've posted a request under the general questions and answers board, detailing the trip and asking for tips and suggestions.



If this works like other boards I've been on, this should take you to the request:



http://community.luxurylink.com/luxurylink/board/message?board.id=board-general&message.id=6980



Please give me the benefit of your experience as neither my mom nor I have ever been to Costa Rica and I want her to enjoy this Birthday/Christmas present to the full extent! So far I have a feeling that I made a really good pick. Oh and can anyone tell me how this works, logistically? I understand that we will be met at the airport etc. But as I said, I have never done this before, so I'm not sure what to expect. For instance, how long will it take (on average) to clear customs? Will webe met by a knowledgable guide or will it be more like a "ride" to the hotel? How early do the come to get you in the morning?



If you all know, please share.....I know this trip has been up before, though I'm not sure if anyone has taken it yet and I'm one of those people who like to get as much info as possible to make it as seemless a process as I can.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi Hissmonster. Good for you for "going for it". I will try to help with the questions. I assume you are flying into San Jose airport (not Liberia.) The airport has been expanded and is now a little bigger BUT...it does get crowded when all the flights come in. Hopefully you will be off peak. Estimate an hour. When you get in to the main area, look up....they have a canopy tour display...its kind of cool. Your pick up person will PROBABLY be a driver from the hotel. I would suggest knowing a few words of SPanish. Typically the folks are wonderfully nice but might be a little shy. You might want to contact Costa Rica Expeditions for a tour itinerary. This will help with the times you will be getting up. Hope this helps.

[lhbrown]

Hi Mountie,
It has been a little more than 7 months since you first posted your message about Best Luxury Link Deals. Did you apply your $500 VIP Gift Certificate to one by now? If so, where did you go, and what was your experience? Perhaps I missed your post if you did. Just curious.

[hissmonster]

Bonniejoy03,



Thanks this does help. We're coming in at the San Jose airport on 12/1 at around 2:30 in the afternoon, most of the other flights have an arrival of late evening, so I'm hoping we'll get a little lucky, but then again I waited for 2 hours in Nova Scotia at the Halifax airport and we arrived at midnight, so I will prepare for the worse and be happy if it's less.



I have a general Itinerary from C/R/E, but it says morning pick up not a time.Basically, I want to make sure to get breakfast before they get there. Mom will need somethingbefore a 4 hour boat ride. So I will ask Nayda for something a little more definitive. On the other thread they told me about the departure tax and that you can pre-pay it when you arrive. That was great, I've never been anywhere that charged a departure tax (or if they did I paid it when I booked the trip and didn't realize it, sigh have to read the bills more carefully next tme). Anyway, I will make sure we pay that on arrival so we don't end up adding more "line" time to our departure.



The Tour says we will be dropped back at our hotel in San Jose in late afternoon, do you know how late shops are open? If we get in at around 4pm will we have time to do a little shopping in San Jose or will we run into "closed" signs?



Thanks

Hiss

[Mountie]

LL-Travelfan, not yet, but I am still shopping the LL auctions and collecting input from the communityfor that really special trip.