Resort Hotels            

by Jane Onstott---
for Directory of Hotels.com

Fairmont, Starwood, Legends, Marriott, Riverside, Mövenpick, Sheraton, Princess, Chandris, Wyndam, Westin, Shangri-La. Some are competitors, others share a corporate umbrella. What these brands have in common is the infrastructure to pamper guests, in style, at resorts around the world. Travelers on a budget needn't be left out. Take advantage of off-season pricing or package deals, or choose more modest but unique and worthwhile accommodations and you'll soon be relaxing on the Riviera or scaling thousand-year-old Maya ruins outside Cancun.

Although resort hotels sometimes crop up in the most mundane of places, most are destination-driven and far from ho-hum. Fringed with swaying palm trees, the powder-white sands in the Yucatan's Caribbean were lovely yet lonely until 30 years ago, when the Mexican government put Cancun of the map. Local entrepreneurs and international developers soon followed, edging the gorgeous coastline to the south with hotels large and small. Offshore, the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, so low-key 25 years ago, now have modest to luxury accommodations in all sorts of styles. And where they build it, people follow. Divers explore the reefs, snorkelers float on aquamarine swells. The best resort destinations preserve nature while putting up charming accommodations for those who come to appreciate it.

Beach resorts are far and away the most popular vacation destinations. Up and down Spain's Costa del Sol, pale-skinned Brits settle in at sun-drenched villas and tan it up on the beach. The French Riviera season is short but sensational, mixing it up with fashion models, royalty, and regular folks from Amsterdam to Warsaw.

Club Med started the beach resort craze with its simple accommodations and romantic, all-inclusive escapes for singles in tropical idylls like Tahiti. The brand now caters to families, but has not abandoned its lust for the planet's prettiest beaches. Virtually all of the world's hotel chains are represented in flirty, fun-loving Rio de Janeiro. Gorgeous beaches year-round are a big part of Rio's draw, along with drop-dead-stunning bay views, tangas (the original thong bikini), caiparinha (an icy tropical cocktail), and that infectious Brazilian joie de vivre. Indonesia's resorts delight guests with an amazing variety of tropical fruits; Thailand is famous for friendly people, flower-filled public altars on every corner, and rejuvenating (and inexpensive) Thai massage. Each resort offers something the others cannot.

Certainly unique is Sweden's amazing ice hotel, in Jukkasjdrvi. Each year in this tiny town nearly 50 tons of snow and specially made ice go into creating this entirely frozen accommodation complete with movie screening room and indoor and outdoor hot tubs. It's no surprise that most guests stay only one night; some come to get married in the ice chapel. It's certainly a story to tell the grandkids.

Most resort hotels, however, are warmer and more comfortable. Built at the site of a healing natural hot spring, Hoshi Ryokan, in Awazu, Japan, has the distinction of being the world's oldest destination spa. Today, visit Calistoga, California for the mud and mineral soaks or follow in Aristotle's footsteps to the healing waters of Aedipsos in Evia, Greece. The Catholic faith draws seekers to lodgings in Lourdes to witness the site of the apparition of Our Lady. Each retreat speaks to the seeker in a language he or she understands.

Many resorts are multi-taskers, combining modern spa facilities---offering massage, skin treatments, facials and manicures---with other ways to rejuvenate, among them golf, tennis, swimming, hiking and biking. Choose an accommodation in wine country or anywhere that allows you to indulge a passion. For kids, that might be The Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California, where the mild weather lures vacationers year-round. In the winter, ski resorts have enormous appeal, especially “ski-in, ski-out” resorts with lifts right on the property.

The Four Seasons offers guests the ultimate in sumptuously exotic travel: the Tented Golden Triangle Experience. Accessible only by riverboat, the luxury camping experience offers delicious food and amazing jungle scenery near the borders of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Safari-size guest tents have hardwood flooring, outdoor showers, and pounded tin bathtubs; clients can bird-watch, swim in the freeform pool, or take Thai cooking classes. If you can afford it, then indulge! Since when has roughing it been this much fun?

To find the most fabulous resort hotels around the globe, search Directory of Hotels.com find the perfect hotel for your destination.