One of my most favorite benefits of being a freelance writer, often writing about travel is that I get to do just that, travel. As most of you know, in just a few weeks I will be getting married. We aren't going on our honeymoon until next winter but we definitely wanted to do a little getaway in the meantime to relax and enjoy each other after the nuptials. Where better to go than Florida? It'll be early summer so it won't be too hot, but it's not spring break so the flights won't be too expensive. Perfect timing for a luxuriously budget-friendly vacation! If you can time things right you can get great deals at your favorite five-star hotels by not going during their busiest season. Who wants all the crowds anyway? I want to relax!

So here is what I have to look forward to, and what you'll get to hear about in just a little less than a month!

As you probably know, unless you live under a rock, Canyon Ranch is recognized throughout the world for their divine spa treatments and their fabulous approach to integrating healthy nutrition, fitness, lifestyle as well as spiritual growth. I can't wait to go and start my post-bridezilla, zen-like life!

Included with your stay are dozens of complimentary daily group fitness classes and walks, which are led by experienced, enthusiastic instructors. Classes range from yoga to vigorous cardio workouts! Classes change each week! 

After I work my butt off I plan to eat some delicious and healthy food (at least until I get dinner at Barton G and eat my face off!). Canyon Ranch Hotel and Spa in Miami Beach offers award-winning cuisine featuring the cleanest, freshest and most wholesome foods, emphasizing organic, local and sustainable. In addition to eating, you also learn about nutritious dining during your stay and can even sit down with a nutrition expert and learn how to eat better for your own personal goals. 

I'm most excited to check out the spa that Canyon Ranch is so famous for! Included with your stay is access to Aquavana, the most luxurious collection of European-style aquatic environments. I also plan to report back about a facial or massage (or two!). 

Have you been to Canyon Ranch before? Any suggestions for what we should do? 

*Smartypanties will be receiving 2 complimentary nights at Canyon Ranch as consideration for a review but will be paying for the rest of our stay.

Let me start this review of the Tabacon off by explaining what kind of traveler I am so you know how I compare to your own standards. I am a crazy germaphobe who gets skeeved out at the tiniest bug or speck of dirt. After staying at the Fairmont and the Four Seasons in Hawaii I can only accept the best.

I would give the Tabacon a 4 star rating. The service was great and the rooms were clean and had a rustic luxury about them. However, I would not say that this hotel is a five star resort. That said, it was beautiful and I don’t think that you’re going to find a nicer resort in the area, at least from what we saw. Arenal is not a very advanced city. The beauty of it is its rustic charm. The service though at the hotel was fabulous. All of the staff was extremely friendly. They also do lots of little touches to make your stay feel special. The night that you arrive they put fresh tropical fruit in your room and the night that you leave they leave you small homemade chocolate treats.

Rooms: We stayed in a superior room. It was between the main building and the a la carte restaurant, which we found to be a great location. It was quiet and not a far walk from either building. The beds had white linens and were very clean. Trust me I do a thorough inspection coming from NYC where bedbugs are a huge problem right now. There were a few small bugs that we had in our room but you are in a rainforest, and even me, a total crazy person, expected that. The rooms had umbrellas and nice bathrobes for guests to use. The bathroom products were Molton Brown, which I always appreciate. I actually somewhat judge a hotel based on its bath products so this was a plus. They also have a hairdryer in the room, which is nice for us women.

Fruit from the first night

Hot Springs: The hot springs are the highlight of this hotel. They are breathtaking and such a relaxing way to end your day after you have been travelling or rappelling down the side of a mountain. There is even a bar in the main pool to help you get even more relaxed. There are tons of different tubs for you to try. They are so much fun. However, I would say that you don’t need a full day to do these. We enjoyed using them each night after we returned from our grueling activities. Plus, if you’re a guest at the hotel you get exclusive access to them at night so they’re much less crowded because during the day they’re open to the public.

Activities: We booked all of our activities through the hotel and while you may pay a small premium to do so, it is totally worth it. They seemed to have chosen all the best companies and they arrange your pickup, etc. When we told our guides who we were doing the next activity with they were always like “oh, they’re the best!” Each of our guides spoke fantastic English and were extremely knowledgeable about the rainforest and the area. We did the full day hiking combo tour, which included a hike around the rainforest, a hike down to a waterfall and a hanging bridges tour. We really enjoyed this day, despite the fact that it was pouring. *Definitely bring your own poncho, they supply them but they don’t smell fresh, that’s for sure. We also did waterfall rappelling and ziplining. These were both fantastic. If you had to pick one activity we’d all recommend the waterfall rappelling, it was so unique. Just prepared to be soaked. You literally go underneath waterfalls. They provide jackets but make sure you have shoes you don’t mind getting completely submerged in water. Also make sure you bring a change of clothes with you, you can leave these on a dry truck. Then they take you for lunch after you do NOT want to be sitting in your wet clothes. Trust me. Also, you should know there is quite a hike at the end of the rappelling uphill. It’s not too long but if you have a hard time doing that you should be aware.

Dining: Let me preface this section by telling you that we are from NYC and are spoiled with the best restaurants the world has to offer so we are not easy critics. We ate breakfast every morning in the hotel and it was fabulous. It was definitely worth the higher price tag for the convenience of not having to go into town. They had an omelet bar, someone making pancakes and waffles, all the fresh tropical fruit you could ever want (mangos, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, etc.) We ate dinner at the hotel in the a la carte restaurant as well and while it was good we weren’t blown away. However, the ambiance is absolutely beautiful. It is pricy though, about the cost of a really good restaurant in NYC. The food was good, not amazing. We were slightly bothered by the fact that they used imported US beef. Don’t even get me started on the problems with US beef. I won’t even eat it in the states. Plus, the cattle in Costa Rica is raised the way it should be, grazing free in the countryside. I don’t see why a hotel priding itself on being “green” would ship beef in from the US.

Dinner at Don Rufinos: We took a cab into La Fortuna the other nights we were staying at the Tabacon. It costs only $20 round trip and then we got to get a real taste of the local culture. The front desk arranged this for us. Don Rufinos is a steak restaurant and was great. We each got filet mignon, which was delicious. They also have small plates at the bar that are wonderful, in my opinion those may have even been the best. Don’t bother with the dessert here though it was frozen and mediocre at best. Try Guaro, or as the natives call it, Quatro Plumas (Four Feathers). It’s a very popular type of alcohol.

Appetizers at Don Rufinos

Guaro at Don Rufinos

Dinner at La Chosa: We got typical Costa Rican plates here. The ambiance here was casual and fun but the food was just okay. You should try Guanabana juice though blended with milk. It was delicious and it’s a native fruit you can’t get many other places.

Lunch at Benedictu’s: During the combination tour activity, they include lunch and take you to Benedictu’s. The ambiance is nothing, it resembles a hotel lobby with no frills but the food served was typical Costa Rican plates and they were fantastic. The homemade hot sauce in particular. Just wonderful. Rice and beans, chicken, fish or steak, a sunny side up egg, grilled plaintain, salad and probably even more. This meal was delicious. Probably one of our favorites.

Best Hot Sauce Ever!

Spa: The spa was amazing. Definitely a must if you come here. It was extremely elegant and clean. You can even do couples activities together. There is a list at the hotel of specials, which were not on the website that are a great deal. For $150 you get a 30 minute massage, a 30 minute mud facial and a 30 minute volcano wrap. This all happens in a beautiful cabana outside with your sweetie. After the treatments you rinse off in a beautiful outdoor shower and are served delicious smoothies, my friend got Strawberry Tomato, how original?!? She said it was fantastic.

I would definitely recommend this hotel. I just think that you should know that it is not quite like the Four Seasons. That being said it is beautiful and the hot springs are fantastic. I think it would be a real mistake to come all the way to Costa Rica and not experience the hot springs and the volcano.

During our stay at Four Seasons Lodge at Koele we booked an excursion to do the Clay Shooting at Lana'i Pines and we were not disappointed.  They pick you up from the hotel and drive you a quick, maybe 5 minute ride out to the course, which is picturesque.  It's such a fun early morning activity to get you off your butts from just sitting at the pool sipping mai-tais.  For those of you who don't know exactly what clay shooting is (like moi), it's when you shoot at different clay targets that simulate different flight patterns of the different birds or animals.

I learned that it's one of the most challenging sporting clay sites in the world, the course features a dramatic landscape of deep gulches and ravines, vast expanses of pampas grass and groves of Australian pine and lantana brush. Beginners are introduced to the sport with a 45-minute lesson by a certified instructor, emphasising the essence of the sport and gun safety.

Safety is a top priority here, which of course the girl in me really appreciated.  The staff makes you go through every proper precaution before you begin.  The instructor we had was absolutely amazing. He really knew how to teach you to hit the targets. Even me, the most inexperienced sharp shooter was able to hit many of the targets.  You'll have a fun time and a unique experience to share with your friends.  Plus, you get a cerficate and a pin for free.

It was a great time. Visit Four Seasons Lodge at Koele's website for more information.  Open daily from 9-230 pm.There are also other activities like archery available.

Lana'i City Grille at Hotel Lana'i is a true gem that's worth it's high price tag in my opinion.  Afterall, nothing is locally grown on Lana'i so everything has to be either shipped or brought onto the island.  The food was nicely presented, generous and very tasty.  The drinks were poured with love and the Aloha spirit.  The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife who have poured their heart and soul into the menu and ambience.  Michelle Kommes, the restaurant manager and wife of the brilliant chef greets patrons with a warm and cheerful smile and walks around to make sure everyone's meals are perfect.  This meal is definitely splurgeworthy, we felt like we had truly had a unique Lana'i experience.

For appetizers we had the crabcakes and the seared tuna with a coconut sauce. Both of them were perfect and tasty.  The crabmeat was especially fresh and wonderful. 

We also got a salad, which if you're trying to save money I'd skip and stick to the mouth watering appetizers, which are some truly creative and mouth-watering dishes. 

They truly saved the best for last here. The oven baked chocolate chip cookie was absolutely the most amazing dessert I think I've ever had. And I am pretty discriminating when it comes to my chocolate chip cookies since my dad makes them the best but this ooey gooey cookie bursts with warm oozing dough when you take the first bite.  It would be worth visiting Lanai City Grille if only for this. 

Pictured above was what survived.

Visit Lana'i City Grille's website for more information and to make reservations.  It gets pretty packed at night so make sure to make your reservations early.

You may also want to see our review of Four Seasons Lana'i Manele Bay and Four Seasons Lodge at Koele.

The Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui was everything I dreamed it would be. From the moment you pull onto the property you are greeted by friendly and helpful staff, you're treated to a lei of beautiful purple flowers for the ladies and beads for the men.  As you check in your bags are taken care of and you're offered guava mango juice. Yum! When we walked into our room I was amazed outright at the size,  it was seriously the size of my Manhattan apartment.  Not joking, peeps. The decor is tropical resort-esque and everything was immaculately clean.  I had read in some reviews on Trip Advisor that the rooms needed to be updated and I have to say that although they do have an upcoming renovation scheduled (pics to follow later in this post) that we couldn't have been happier with the state of the room as is.  (And we're pretty spoiled from hotels at this point).   I'm by no means saying a vacation here is going to be inexpensive but it's a five star hotel and that's how you're treated. I'm a big believer in "You get what you pay for."  My only problem with paying alot comes when I'm not getting what I paid for.  I can assure you that at the Fairmont you are getting what you pay for. So, my advice is just to help you save money and a few tricks to cut corners if you're splurging but really are still on a budget.

The hotel is located on the pristine white sands of Wailea, perfect for Hawaiian vacations.  The Fairmont Kea Lani is Hawaii's only luxury oceanfront resort featuring spacious suites and villas accommodations for Maui vacations and vacation packages. Plus it's only 17 miles away from the airport.  Many people are curious if they should stay in Lahaina or Wailea.  I have to say I'd say 100% Wailea.  Lahaina is really fun to walk around for an afternoon and have lunch but when you think of Hawaiian honeymoons you think of Wailea. Lahaina is more like a beach town or surf town.  And the drive between the two is only about 45 minutes by the beach so it's beautiful. 

One-bedroom suites offer a spacious 840 square feet of living space and private lanais (patios). Rooms also are equipped with high speed internet access–plus, if you're a Fairmont's President Club member it's free (I recommend signing up for this–it's free!) Here I am in the spacious living room. I can't say we spent much time on this couch since every day of weather was gorgeous so if we were in the room we were out on our balcony. But it did make for a nice waiting area when I was waiting for Ross to finish his sunscreen before we hit the beach.

Here's the bedroom. The bed was super comfy and I just love the white linens. You know everything is clean clean clean! The maid service was also wonderful. Every time I came back to the room it seemed to have been refreshed.  At turn down they would also leave a little card that said the weather for the next day as well as the time of sunrise/sunset. 

The huge marble bathroom contains twin pedestal sinks, deep soaking tub and walk-in shower.  A wet bar, microwave oven, coffee maker and compact refrigerator are also standard in all suites.The shower was amazing. Bath products were nice and smelled like flowers.

Every night we hung out in the lobby before dinner. Mary, the head waitress there makes each night special. She's just so super sweet, she keeps you coming back.  Well, her and the live music and tropical drinks. They do get a little pricey though so we actually bought some Maui Brewing Company beer and a bottle of wine so that we could have a drink and look over the ocean before coming down.  This really helps save some money because when you buy the beer at a local store it comes out to be about $1/beer. If you have one drink on your awesome balcony a night (which I suspect some of you have more than one), a little pregame if you will, you'll save about $15/drink. Our philosophy is we'd rather always order more food and pay for that than pay for booze, especially when you have this beautiful balcony overlooking the ocean. But of course that's a personal choice. It's just that the restaurants at the hotel and in Maui are so spectacular I had a hard time spending $15 a drink when that money could have gotten me something like Oishi Sushi (deep fried spicy tuna roll).

Here's a pic of us having a beer on our balcony, watching the sunset. Doesn't get much better than this!

Our second day at the Fairmont we met with PR extraordinaire, Trudy for a little site tour of the property so we could show you girlies the new renovations–pics that aren't available online yet.  So, as I said, I think the hotel is beautiful just the way it is but every few years they do renovations and update their rooms. Here's the room that they already renovated.  Nice right?

And here's an updated bedroom.  They streamlined the furniture and chose more subdued colors.  They also updated the TVs to flatscreen, though I have to say we had such fun-filled days that we never turned the TV on once–the true sign of a great vacation.

The renovation is scheduled for this fall.  All three swimming pool decks will be replaced with quartzite, a naturally beautiful stone that will dramatically enhance the expansive pool areas.  The Fairmont Kea Lani will continue to be a full service resort over the renovation dates scheduled August 30 – October 28, 2010.  Learn about renovation details and take advantage of spectacular discounts with their “Renovation with Aloha” rates. Inquire within.

Here's a picture of one of the villas. There are 2 and 3 bedroom villas available.  The villas are a step closer to the beach and have their own little dip pools.  Think privacy. You have your own full kitchen and grill outside.  You can even hire your own personal chef through the hotel to come throw you dinner parties. It's ideal for families and celebs.  Celebs like Kate Hudson, Britney Spears, and Jason Alexander have all stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui. 

Here's a shot of the lobby. It's glorious. The ceiling is open and there are no walls. It looks straight out onto the ocean.  They even call their hallways "Breezeways!" How cute? There are several different shops to peruse while you're there filled with fun little treats, souveniers, etc.  The hotel also has this awesome little cafe right near the pool called Cafe Ciao where you can get little goodies to eat poolside. It has an amazing coffee shop like Starbucks but better. We got a Banana Mocha Frappe, which had real banana in it, every morning. Other faves of mine included iced macadamia nut coffee and unsweetened mango iced tea.  They have different pasta and veggie premade salads too that make a great cheap and light lunch for the pool or beach. I got two small containers (which was alot of pasta) and an iced tea and that came to about $16.

They also have a restaurant/bar right by the pool that serves awesome nachos.  The only thing we got there that we didn't like was the fish wrap. Ick. I just didn't like that the fish had the skin on it, but that's just me being a super picky seafood eater.

The hotel also offers an amazing Buffet brunch where you can get anything and everything you desire.  They just renovated this room so it's a feast for the eyes and the stomach.  They have an omelette station where you can literally add any veggie or cheese that your heart desires.  They even have low-fat options like egg beaters.  The buffet is filled with fruit, pancakes, eggs, breakfast meat, waffles, granola, pastries and all the fixins you could imagine.  This is about $30 per person but if you do this, trust me, you won't be hungry until dinner.

There is Japanese themed restaurant that was our favorite for lunch, Ko.  We had a teriyaki chicken sandwich and an amazing Tofu stir fry for lunch. The convenience of not having to go far from the pool is worth the price, sandwiches are about $20/25. Ko is an absolute MUST for dinner. Make sure to check out our Ko Restaurant Maui Must Eat review.

The property is stunning and has 3 pools. There's one with a swim up bar for adults and also a waterslide for kids.  In the other pool there's a basketball hoop for kids and adults and then there is even an Adult's Only pool where you can get some peace, read a book and just lay out without getting splashed.  This was where we spent most of our time.  Like the Four Seasons they brought around treats like fruit skewers and cold compresses to cool you off. Has anyone seen Couples Retreat? It's basically like Eden.

The hotel also has the usual amenities like fabulous golf, an awesome spa and kids club. A full activities program at this exceptional resort offers snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddling, scuba diving and island-wide excursions. Learn about Hawaiian culture through the resort's own Hawaiian Canoe Experience.

We had an amazing time doing this.  You get up early and the guides give you an awesome background about what life was like on Maui back in the day.  They teach you the basics about a canoe and get you ready to go out.  Once out on the water they even give you the option to jump out of the boat and throw on a snorkel mask and check out some of the oceanlife.  I was terrified but inspired by the adorable woman in my boat who didn't know how to swim but threw on a life jacket and jumped in, refusing to miss such an awesome experience.  I figured, hey if she can't swim and can do it, so can I.  What you see in the ocean is breathtaking. Trust me.

If you prefer a more leisurely pace, pamper yourself with a rejuvenating treatment in one of Hawaii's most acclaimed spas, Spa Kea Lani. Fitness classes are also available such as yoga, body contouring, Polo Beach workout and aquacise.

So here's the DL, rooms start at about $400 but you can always call and see if they have any specials going on.  For instance, right now if you book here for your honeymoon you get a free bottle of wine and dessert at Ko Restaurant.  Here's my advice to save yourself a little dough:

Buy some beer or wine and have a drink on your balcony (most rooms have ocean views so it really is beautiful and relaxing) before you leave for the night or go to have a drink in the hotel bar.

Don't valet your car, self-park in the guest parking. It's only like a 2 minute walk. 

Do either the breakfast buffet and be full all day or go to Cafe Ciao and get some fruit, yogurt or pasta salads to go. 

The hotel offers complimentary bottled water in the rooms, take this for hikes instead of stopping to get it on the way.

Go off the property for lunches some days–we tried an amazing Mexican restaurant called Fred's Mexican. It's about a 12 minute drive from the hotel and tacos were about $12. They're also supposed to have awesome Margaritas.  We were on our way to go hike Iao Valley though so we skipped the cocktails. You can also get great suggestions from their concierge who rocked–ask for Patty she really knew her stuff!

We absolutely loved it here and I must say, originally I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay here or the Four Seasons. Well, we walked over to the Four Seasons for lunch one day and I wasn't any more impressed with it there than the Fairmont (which was significantly less money). I read some reviews online saying that the Fairmont had to work on it's luxury,  I must say I totally disagree. Nothing here was anything but five star treatment!

Visit Fairmont Kea Lani for rates and more information about the property.

Also check out our restaurant review of Ko Restaurant. 

*Smartypanties was hosted by the Fairmont at a special press rate in consideration for a review for our fabulous readers. As always though all opinions herein are my own!*

Welcome to the other side of Lana'i–beach and sunshine.  The decor here was impeccable. Definitely had an asian flare but the overall theme again here was just pure serenity.  The staff was attentive but not in a way that you felt like they were hoping for a tip.  There is a beautiful pool as well as a beach just about a one minute walk from the pool.  The staff passed around treats all day long, iced water with a pineapple/mint essence, ice packs to put on your head and fruit skewers with fresh pineapple and melon.  The staff set up chairs and umbrellas for you for you on the beach and brought treats down there too. There was always  sun tan lotions (spf 8-30) available at both water locations.

Gardens and waterfalls cover the property.

Ocean Grill is a must for lunches and definitely for at least one dinner. It's right next to the pool and has the most spectacular view–especially during sunset. Yes, it's definitely a litle pricey but it's not only very convenient the food is definitely spectacular.  We loved the Margharita pizza for lunch–note this was much bigger than the veggie pizza for some reason and could be easily shared to save a buck. Also, from 4-5 everyday there is a happy hour where drinks are specially priced and so are pu-pus (appetizers). It's like a little hotel party everyday for guests to socialize and well, get blitzed! Try their margaritas. These were a standout here.

Dinner here was effing awesome.  You absolutely cannot miss the pad thai. Pad thai is my favorite food ever and I swear to you it was the best pad thai I've ever had. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. I don't know how else to put it–best dish ever. Maybe my favorite dish I ate in all of Lana'i (see this review for my favorite dessert in Hawaii). The Tuna was also awesome.  If you're trying to save money here, I'd skip the desserts. We tried two sundaes and weren't blown away by either.

There are 2 amazing hikes right from the property. Both are wonderful and get you moving before you eat huge meals and lay like a beached whale by the pool while amazing staffers cater to your every need. Plus–they're free. You can do one and then stop back at the hotel for water. Each took about 1 hour.

Try out the spa! Use of the facility is free! Think steam room and rain fall showers. The hotel also offers mini-spa treatments poolside. 

This was the view from our room.  You could actually walk out onto the grass from our porch and see the ocean. Obvs. We read here everyday (until I fell asleep for a daily nap) and listened to the waves.

As for the amenities, there was a huge marble bathroom and L'Occitane products.  White linens and white bathrobes to lounge in along with Four Seasons slippers.

To save money here I would say that you don't need to rent a car. You can use their shuttle to go most places on the island that you'd want to go. It's very small (about the size of manhattan).

Rooms start at $259! I mean for a Four Seasons on a remote private island? It doesn't get much better than this!

To book travel here or check out rates click here.

Or read our review about Four Seasons Lana'i Lodge at Koele.

Four Seasons Resort Lana`i, The Lodge at Koele

Every day when I take a break to surf the internet all I can do is check the Four Seasons' and Fairmont's website and get excited. These look like 2 of the most luxurious hotels ever. And the best part ever is that you can actually find some reasonably affordable rates (espesh during non-peak seasons).  That's the key peeps. You can stay at the luxury hotels if you can be flexible about your dates.

Fiance will finally be done with all his work and ready to play with ME! Do I sound like I'm 6? That's how I feel. Do any of y'all have any fun vacays planned? I haven't been out of the city (other than to go to CLE) in a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time. Hello Hawaii Luxury! Goodbye, Cement Jungle! Let the countdown begin!

Four Seasons Resort Lana`i at Manele Bay

Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/lanai
Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FSLanai
Find us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/FourSeasonsResortsLanai

Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui, Hawaii

For more awesome pics or to learn more visit their Website.