Memorial Day Weekend Summer Kick-off

Whether you're chilling this weekend in Boise or Budapest... The Informed Traveler and Five Star Alliance wish you the best for a fun and happy Memorial Day Weekend. We'll be back next week with some exciting special offers for luxury travel.

Special Offers at the World’s Best Hotels, Brought to You by Five Star Alliance

Announcing the latest resource compiled by the team of luxury travel experts at Five Star Alliance: a compilation of all the best special offers at the world's finest hotels! Browse by region and find the most current and hottest offers. To whet your appetite: At the legendary Villa d'Este, on Lake Como, Italy, book the "One More Night" package, and receive a free fourth night when paying for three. On a sojourn to the City of Light, book the "Shopping in Paris" package at the glamorous Hotel de Crillon. The Guests Relations team will provide you the best addresses for shopping, and you'll receive a special welcome as a guest of the Crillon. For example, the Place de la Madeleine Baccarat boutique offers you 10 percent discount, a glass of Champagne and an exclusive Baccarat gift. After shopping: enjoy an afternoon tea in the Winter Garden and finish the day with a delicious dinner at the restaurant L'Obelisque. Find Special Offers here

Introducing the Informed Traveler Flickr Group

By Courtney W. May Following in the footsteps of all the travel blogs we admire, The Informed Traveler has set up a Flickr Group for fans and photographers alike to join in the community: The Informed Traveler Flickr Group Want to start a discussion on the most expensive hotel you've ever been to? This is the place to do it. Or maybe you had a really terrible time at that "luxury" hotel and you have pictures to prove it? We want to see those too. We are a public group and anyone interested in upscale travel and lavish hotels should join us to share stories, pictures, and comments. Plus, if you have some awesome photos to share about luxury destinations, you can post them in the group and maybe even be featured on the Blog as an 'Outstanding Traveler'. We try to use the photos of reader and community members when possible, so get them up there for us to feature with our stories. Don't yet have a Flickr or Yahoo account? You can sign up here.

Your Favorite (or Worst) Luxury Hotel Experience

Thrilled by your last tropical getaway? Found the perfect romantic inn? Or sleek and stylish business hotel in Asia? Terribly disappointed (God forbid!) by a stay at a luxury-hotel-chain? Let the world know! Send us your stories, recommendations, critiques and complaints...

Announcing the Five Star Alliance Editorial Advisory Board

Loyal reader, You may have noticed some superb new content posted here on the Informed Traveler. We've recently launched our Editorial Advisory Board, comprised of influential leaders of the luxury hotel industry, including Presidents, General Managers and top executives at the world's best hotels who have formed close connections with Five Star Alliance. The aim of our Board is to build a connection between the world's best hotels and the thousands of luxury travelers who visit Five Star Alliance each day. These folks are the experts, and they're now bringing their expertise (travel tips for solo women travelers, recipes, hotel news and specials, restaurant recommendations) to the Informed Traveler. Check out the Editorial Advisory Board category for their cool contributions...

Wanted: A Little Valentine’s Romance for our Readers

Have some romantic recs for Valentine's Day? (Don't be jaded, now....) Bursting at the seams to share your favorite romantic destination, story or restaurant? We'd love to hear 'em. Send in your stories or hotel suggestions and we'll publish them here or in our monthly newsletter.

Happy Holidays from the Informed Traveler and Five Star Alliance!

We're on break for a few days, but will be back soon with lots of hotel recs and special luxury travel offers for the new year. (For anyone who can guess where I'm taking this hiatus, I'll publish your hotel/travel story! Can anyone guess the charming locale?)

How Are We Doing?

Dear esteemed reader, It's been seven weeks since our launch: 140 posts of favorite luxury hotels, special offers, and trends in luxury travel. What stories have you liked? What's peaked your interest? Or helped in planning a vacation? What would you like to see more of? What do you want axed? Let us know! Additionally, we're always on the look-out for submissions from guest contributors. Burning to share a story from your latest travel adventure? Want to be published? Send them in! We're all ears… (or would that be "eyes")

Thanksgiving Tales from Abroad

Can't find a turkey in Japan? How 'bout cooking up a Cornish hen with wasabi? Feasting in Amsterdam? Let your host invite every single guest in the hotel (the more the merrier, right?) No supermarket in El Salvador? Chase down the turkey (and chop off that head) yourself! Our stories pale next to yours. Send 'em in! We’d love to hear about your adventures gobbling down turkey in foreign lands.

Royal Gazette Fancies Five Star Alliance World’s Best Lists

A recent article in the Royal Gazette highlights the top honor bestowed on Cambridge Beaches—chosen by Five Star Alliance as one of the world’s most luxurious beach resorts. Situated on its own private 25 acre peninsula, the cottages at Cambridge Beaches are each unique-- individually decorated and designed. This is the oldest resort of its kind. Apparently one of the buildings (almost 300 years old) was built by a privateer!

Cambridge Beaches, Official Site

Cambridge Beaches, Five Star Alliance