Five star hotels are out. One star is in.
First Heiress Nicky Hilton announces plans to open Nicky O Hotels in Miami and Chicago. Then her sister Paris announces that she too is going to put the ho in hotel with a property in Vegas. Although the girls like to think they’re original, celebrities have been buying hotels for years. No need to risk a restraining order when you can legally stay at the following celebrity-owned digs:
- Welcome to the Hotel California - Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch Resort in Carmel, California. It’s such a lovely place, such a lovely place. Stay in the historic farmhouse or, for more privacy, one of the surrounding suites. Use the hotel as your homebase but spend your days exploring Carmel’s quirky shops, dramatic landscape and excellent restaurants. Go ahead, make his day and book now.
- The hills are alive with the sound of snoring. Touted as a little bit of Austria in Vermont, the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont is no generic ski resort. This 2,700 acre idyll, owned by the von Trapp family of Sound of Music Fame, has been delighting families and couples since 1950. The main Lodge is accented by hand-carved balustrades, steeply pitched gables and a cedar shake roof with an Austrian bell tower. Year-round recreational activities include the usual winter sports plus hiking, tennis, maple sugaring and music lessons (remember to wear your favorite draperies to music class).
- As a child, Michael Douglas spent summers in Bermuda at Ariel Sands. He loved the intimate resort so much that he bought and renovated the property with a group of investors in the 1990s. Today, 46 salmon-painted cottages cover 14 hillside acres with direct access to a private beach on Bermuda’s South Shore. The resort’s stunning interiors are traditional colonial Bermuda style meets Connecticut country-club. One week of vacation here and you too will have the confidence to marry a person twice as good looking and half your age.
- Francis Ford Coppola first fell in love with Belize while searching for the same jungle paradise he enjoyed while shooting Apocalypse Now. No Hanoi Hilton, Turtle Inn, located in the southern coastal town of Placencia Village, is one of the most luxurious resorts in Belize. The property holds a special place in Coppola’s heart as the Godfather personally supervised the resort’s reconstruction after a hurricane leveled the property. The one and two-bedroom Balinese-inspired cabanas boast artisan-crafted furnishings, large decks, and spacious bathrooms that open onto private rock garden and open-air showers.
- Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Look no further than The Clarence in Dublin, Ireland, owned by U2’s Bono and The Edge. Located in the heart of the city on the famous River Liffey, the hotel is the personal vision of the legendary owners. Like the band, each room is original, in fact no two rooms or suites are alike. Unwind with a drink at the trendy Octagon Bar and then dine at the classic Tea Room restaurant. After a few cocktails, trash your room — rock star style — the owners will understand.
Get the Fare Buzz for 25 celebrity-owned hotels from your home airport.
Yours, on the D-list,
Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders