A visit to London, England anytime of the year is a wonderful experience. London will be offering a wide variety of events and exhibitions that shouldn’t be missed.

London offers a wide variety of accommodations for visitors. Two new hotels are scheduled for opening this year including The Beaumont Hotel and M by Montcalm. The Beaumont Hotel is the first created by famous restaurateurs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin.

The luxury M by Montcalm is a 200-room hotel is part of a 23-story tower London development. The new hotel was designed to blend which fuses large scale art, sculpture and architecture …. all in a futuristic looking tower.

One unique experience can be found at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood. The exhibit is titled “Small Stories: At Home in a Dolls’ House.” it opens December 13 and takes visitors on a fascinating journey of the history of each home in addition to the dolls who lived there.

London is well known for incredible theater productions. Opening December 2 is “The Wind in the Willows” at the Vaudeville Theater. On December 6 is “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” at the Royal Opera House and on December 13 will be the opening of “The Little Match Girl” at Sadler’s Wells.

Learn about the First World War in the Air at the famous Royal Air Force Museum. Opening in December is a new exhibit in the museum’s historic Grahame-White Factory. See how fighter plane pilots, ground crews plus factory workers come together during World War I at the birthplace of aerial power.

Ring in the New year in style and enjoy the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display. Located at the famous London Eye, as Big Ben “bongs” at midnight, the fun in the sky will start. It’s the UK’s largest annual fireworks display and continues to be a very popular event in London.

Theater lovers will also enjoy the opening of “Golem” which opens Dec 9 and runs through January 21, 2015. Golem follows the huge hit The Animals and Children took to the Streets. First premiered in 1927, Golem is one of the most anticipated new shows of 2014. Enjoy the play’s premise – what can happen when man and machines become almost interchangeable.

If you would like to make travel plans to visit London this year, contact The Life of Luxury today. One of our luxury travel specialists can assist you with your entire itinerary and reservations. Return to this luxury blog to read about other travel destination news and announcements.

The Shelborne is an historic heritage property on South Beach, Florida. This luxury resort just finished a major $90 million renovation. The hotel’s glamorous legacy has been revived and invites those looking for the very best in entertainment and leisure in the Miami area.

Shelborne Wyndham Grand is located oceanfront in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco District. The resort is ideally situated on one of the most desirable areas of Miami Beach.

The Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach is a stunning 200-room resort that was carefully restored. Two of most innovative interior designers around today, led the design and restoration work – Meg Sharpe and Richard Mishaan.

In 1940, the Shelborne was originally designed by Art Deco architect Igor Polevitsky. The report was updated in the 1950s by Morris Lapidus. The latter work gave the resort its Neo-baroque Miami Modern look.

Food lovers will enjoy an exciting, South Beach dining experience at Morimoto South Beach. This cool restaurant at Shelborne Wyndham Grand is operated by award-winning chef Masaharu Morimoto. He will run all food and beverage programs that also includes room service and catering. Morimoto South Beach is an 180-seat indoor and outdoor restaurant.

The 1940s-inspired lobbyat the Shelborne Wyndham Gran was restored as the new Drawing Room Bar & Lounge. The bar and lounge offers an original cocktail program developed by celebrated apotheker Albert Trummer. The location is also the entrance to Blue Harmony Spa. Drawing Room lounge functions as a business center and reading room during the day and morphs into a vibrant bar scene at night.

Later this year, Shelborne Wyndham Grand will introduce two specialty suites that includes a spa suite and Penthouse suite that will feature a vinyl lounge.

The resort also take advantage of it perfect oceanfront location by featuring a luxurious pool and lounge area. There are welcoming cabanas that lead straight to the property’s boardwalk. Stroll along and enjoy a long stretch of beautiful white-sand beach.

As the hot destination in South Beach, Miami, the iconic Miami landmark, the Shelborne is now an exciting lifestyle resort and with a chic design. The luxury amenities are endless and Atlantic Ocean views are priceless.

If you would like to book a luxury travel vacation to Miami and stay at the Shelborne Wyndham Grand on South Beach, contact us today to help plan and reserve your entire itinerary. Keep up with other luxury resort and hotel news by following our luxury blog.

A new art exhibition opens in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art – “Fabergé Revealed.”

“Fabergé Revealed” will feature 238 both rare and culturally significant Fabergé artifacts. The exhibition will run between November 14, 2014 and May 25, 2015.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) partnered with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to display this incredible art collection of rare Fabergé artifacts.

During the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s, the House of Fabergé produced greater than 150,000 objects of art, jewels and silver articles. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts hosts the argest public collection of Fabergé artifacts outside of Russia.

The collection provides a glimpse into the taste and rich history of the powerful Russian imperial family. The “Fabergé Revealed” collection will feature stunning pieces from the original Fabergé. One interesting item is the Imperial Pelican Easter Egg (1897) which was created to celebrate the Dowager Empress of Russia.

Tarissa Tiberti is the Executive Director of BGFA and was quoted, “These treasured objects encompass the beauty of art while also telling one of the most powerful stories in history – the fall of the Russian imperial family. ‘Fabergé Revealed’ will highlight each of the distinct styles displayed in the original House of Fabergé stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow and London centuries ago.”

The impressive Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is located within the luxurious Bellagio Resort & Casino and is open between the hours of 10 a.m. – 7 p.m daily.

The museum’s current art exhibition is titled, “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” and will close on October 17, 2014.

If you are traveling to Las Vegas and would like to attend the “Fabergé Revealed” collection at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, please contact us today. We can assist with your entire luxury travel itinerary. If you like reading about the latest news in the world of art, please follow our luxury blog.

Photo: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The WestHouse Hotel New York in midtown Manhattan is a luxurious, Art Deco-inspired hotel that offers luxury accommodations. This top New York City hotel also features the best upscale services and luxury amenities in New York City.

As a luxury lifestyle hotel, the WestHouse Hotel New York continues to evolve and provide its guests the very best available. The luxury Manhattan hotel just introduced The Terrace.

The Terrace is an exclusive rooftop dining and lounge space that is available for hotel guests to enjoy. The Terrace was designed by the award-winning interior design firm, Jeffrey Beers International.

Located on the 23rd floor of the WestHouse Hotel New York, The Terrace offers amazing, panoramic views of Manhattan and provides hotel guests a wide variety of breakfast presentations, afternoon teas, hors d’oeuvres and evening canapés.

The Terrace features a kitchen, private dining room, open dining room, lounge and alfresco terrace. Since private space is only available guests at the WestHouse Hotel New York, you feel like it’s your very own private refuge, city retreat.

The opening of The Terrace marks the official completion of the new hotel build out. The WestHouse Hotel New York opened its doors to hotel guests earlier this year.

To reach The Terrace, guests enter via a central foyer that will lead them into a multi-purpose space that is both functional and elegant, serving as a main dining room and kitchen.

The Terrace is open throughout the day. The private dining room features a gorgeous, long wood dining table that will seat up to 8 people. The decor features inset wall panels with original artwork that one might find in a wealthy estate’s personal art collection.

If you are traveling to New York City and would like to stay at the luxury WestHouse Hotel New York, please contact our travel department. We can assist with your entire travel itinerary. Follow our luxury blog to read about other luxury hotel news releases.

The luxurious, all-inclusive Spice Island Beach Resort is located on Grenada in the Caribbean. This incredible, tropical property provides its guests several suite accomodation categories that include garden, beachfront and private pool suites.

As one of the premier romantic retreats in the Caribbean, Spice Island Beach Resort is now offering a fantastic honeymoon package. The exciting news is that for newlyweds who stay seven nights or more, the package is available at no additional cost!

The amenity-rich honeymoon package for couples includes flowers upon your arrival at the luxury resort, a bottle of champagne, selection of fresh fruit, various spice-scented body oils, romantic sunset cruise in addition to a couples massage. In all, it’s a $500 value!

Spice Island Beach Resort recently finished a multi-million dollar renovation project. Some of the property areas upgraded included the residence lounge, reception area, a redesigned courtyard plus guest rooms and restaurants. The full-service Janissa’s Spa was also expanded and received an extensive upgrade.

Known as a boutique hideaway, the chic Spice Island Beach Resort is the ideal place for newly married couples to begin their life together in a tropical and very romantic setting.

All of the suites available at Spice Island Beach Resort are air conditioned. The suites feature amazing five-star amenities such as LCD flat panel televisions with cable, large bath tub, dvd player, minibar, Molton Brown bath and body amenities, coffee/tea facility and toaster, safe, soft Italian Frette linen and bathrobes, plus chaise lounges and patio or balcony. Some of the resort’s suites also include your own private pool.

Food lovers won’t be disappointed as the luxury resort in Grenada offers an unmatched culinary program that serves seven-course dinners and covers everything from diet-friendly to decadent. Yum!

With starting nightly rates at only $946 based on double occupancy, the Spice Island Beach Resort honeymoon package is available from now until Dec. 16, 2014.

If you would like to discover true romance and book a reservation and stay at the Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, please contact The Life of Luxury. Be sure to return on a regular basis to read about other exciting luxury travel packages published in our luxury blog.

The scenic Napa Valley in California is known for some of the best wines in the world. It’s also a popular destination for travelers to visit the various wineries and enjoy a day of wine tasting.

B Cellars is a premium Napa Valley, award-winning wine producer and just opened of a new winery and hospitality house. The two new buildings are found on the historic B Cellars property in Oakville AVA.

The property sits among some of the best Napa area wineries, including Silver Oak, Opus One, Groth, Rudd, Plumpjack and Gargiulo. The region definitely defines the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

B Cellars is led by winemaker Kirk Venge and operates a multi-vineyard winemaking strategy, to craft exceptional blends procured from Napa Valley’s most desirable vineyard properties. The company continually delivers wine vintages that display distinct character, depth, and layers of flavors.

The new B Cellars additions feature a state-of-the art wine production facility that offers more than 15,000-square-feet of caves for tours, wine tasting, to store wine barrels and host private events. There is also interactive, state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen.

The demonstration kitchen has an open-flame hearth oven that will be the focal point of the hospitality house. The kitchen will be overseen by full-time wine educator and chef, Christina Machamer. She is proud to be a protégé of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. In addition, chef de cuisine Brian Green will be displaying his skills as well. Green was trained under Daniel Boulud and Dominique Ansel in New York.

Next to the hospitality house, guests can wander the B Cellars property grounds. View the culinary gardens and explore, pick, sample and tend to and become part of the various experiential programs offered at the winery.

You will be hosted by B Cellars Wine Guides for both tasting and educational experiences, whch are named – Wine Journeys and Culinary Adventures. Participate in “Treks” throughout the B Cellars property including the Culinary Garden. You will have the opportunity to discuss seasonality, how the local weather makes the Oakville AVA unique within Napa Valley, symbiotic planting theories, in addition to regional soil compositions.

Wine lovers will really enjoy the new Appellation Tasting. Discover the diverse terroir of Napa Valley’s appellations via tasting Cabernet Sauvignon wines from four of the most distinct growing areas. You will first tour the wine production facilities and learn about the entire harvest to bottling process. Next, enter the private tasting area of the caves for a wonderful wine tasting experience. You’ll compares single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Atlas Peak. Each wine served is carefully paired with a variety of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and flatbreads from the hearth oven.

B Cellars is open for tastings by appointment, seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is located at 701 Oakville Cross Road in Oakville.

To book a luxury travel reservation to visit Napa Valley and B Cellars, please contact us today. One of our concierge specialists will assist you. If you enjoy reading about interesting travel destinations, return and follow our luxury blog.

Come the winter months, many of us will be jetting off in search of colder climates as we embark on our 2014 ski vacation. If you still haven’t decided where to go, read on to find out more about the fabulous resort of St Moritz in Switzerland.

Ski opportunities

As the playground of the rich and famous, chances are that you have already heard of St Moritz. Over the years, the resort has gained a reputation as an all-round winter sports hotspot, attracting visitors from across the globe.

Split into four main sectors, Corviglia, Corvatsch, Diavolezza/Lagalb and Zuoz, the region’s ski area features a huge 350km of piste and has slopes to suit a variety of skiers. Intermediates will delight in the long runs offered in Corviglia and Corvatsch, while experts can challenge themselves with the black runs of Lagalb. The smaller resort of Zuoz, on the other hand, caters to families and beginners.

Accommodation

As the glamorous nature of the resort suggests, St Moritz is home to some of the world’s most spectacular chalets. With properties that feature private gyms, saunas, Jacuzzis and home cinemas, visitors have come to expect luxury as standard in this vibrant resort.

SkiBoutique has an extensive collection of luxury ski chalets in the resort. To add an extra touch of indulgence to this already exuberant location, the company assign you your very own PA to ensure your trip is stress- and hassle-free.

Après ski

Compared to livelier Swiss resorts, St Moritz can been seen as somewhat tame to seasoned partiers. However, this isn’t to say the resort becomes something of a ghost town after 5pm: rather, it offers a distinctly more sophisticated affair.

Foodies will not be disappointed by the range of restaurants the resort offers. You’ll find everything from quaint eateries offering wholesome home-cooked food to swanky restaurants like La Marmite, which serves up truffles and caviar to its exclusive patrons.

In terms of nightlife, there are numerous options available for those looking to party. The elegant King’s Club often plays host to world-renowned DJs. Forget dancing on tables though: with the club’s A-list guest list and jaw-dropping interior, the club attracts a more elegant crowd.

On- or off-piste, St Moritz offers an unparalleled vibrancy that attracts visitors year after year to this popular Switzerland destination. Will you be one of them in 2014?

If you would like to visit Switzerland and book a travel reservation in St Moritz, please contact The Life of Luxury today. We will be able to assist with all your luxury travel plans. Please come back often and read about other interesting travel destinations, by following this luxury blog.

Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is a magical place of beauty and culture that consists of archipelago of seven, scenic islands.

The luxury Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Malta is offering a new program titled, “Private Malta” and is the perfect way to discover the stunning, Maltese Islands.

The 4-day tour is unique and will give tourists a chance to view some of the coveted sightseeing spots in Malta such as ‘the silent city’ of Mdina and the baroque capital Valletta. You will also be able to go behind the normally-closed doors of some of the most interesting private homes and Palazzos and actually meet the owners.

The “Private Malta” program offers numerous highlights – private visits to the stunning St John’s Cathedral, an unbelievable tour by yacht of The Grand Harbour, in addition to memorable musical performances in Palazzos.

Malta is proud to have been chosen to host Europe’s “City of Culture” in 2018 and share its stunning,
architecturally superb capital of Valetta to the world. In addition, Malta, features numerous, top UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

A major renaissance is underway in The City of Valetta. The property sector is seeing many refurbishments on both its public and private buildings.

As part of the refurbishment campaign, a new Parliament building is under construction and designed by word famous Italian designer Renzo Piano. In addition, many of the the ancient city walls in the capital and around the island, named Bastions, are being repaired as well as upgraded due to years of neglect.

To recognize their bravery during early World Was II battles, in 1942 the people of Malta were awarded the prestigious George Cross by the British King George V1. The “Private Malta” program will integrate both historical achievements, plus where th eisland nation of Malta is going in the future.

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa’s general manager David Woodward, the was quoted, “Malta means so many different things to so many different people. It has a prevailing warm climate, clear blue seas, constantly-improving cuisine and a great nightlife scene, as well as an unbeatable history and incredible architecture. We will highlight all that through Private Malta – the Knights’ of St John, the ports and cities, the spectacular Grand Harbour and, finally, the Palazzos and private homes.”

Jim Dunn is the creator of “Private Malta” and advisor to the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa. He stated, “Our aim is to not only let the visitors see and learn much of Malta’s tremendous history over the centuries, but to enable visitors meet the locals in their homes for a private visit over a lunch, dinner or coffee.”

The “Private Malta” program is priced from €2,150 per person (in a group). This luxury travel itinerary includes four nights’ accommodation in a deluxe twin room, all meals during your stay, transfers, guides and all taxes.

If you would like to visit Malta and book a “Private Malta” program reservation, please contact The Life of Luxury today. We will be able to assist with all your luxury travel plans. Return to read about other interesting travel destinations, by following our popular luxury blog.

The Plaza Hotel in New York City is definitely of the most iconic luxury hotels in the world. As summer winds down, The The Plaza Hotel is offering several luxury travel packages this fall.

Since opening in 1907, this luxury hotel truly is the definition of elegance. Offering endless luxury amenities and top-notch service, The Plaza Hotel offers an experience like no other.

Below are several, available packages we wanted to share with our readers.

Wellness at The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza focuses on delivering health and wellness options for its guests. The luxury hotel offers the best in facilities, services, and spa treatments. Enjoy access to La Palestra, which is the multi-level state of the art wellness facility. It blends comprehensive medical analyses and specific treatments along with individually tailored exercise programs. Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at The Plaza Hotel provides unique relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments. The spa’s world renowned treatments and massages are based on the benefits of the vine and grape which are performed by expert trained Vinotherapists.
· Hotel accommodations in a luxurious guest room or suite
· $250 Spa credit to use on any of Caudalie’s signature treatments, including a candlelit Couple’s Massage or Couple’s Barrel Bath
· Complimentary glass of wine served in the spa’s exclusive French Paradox Wine Lounge post-treatment
· Gift box of Caudalie products to take the spa experience home with you
· Daily American breakfast for two from the Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu
· Workout apparel and footwear delivered directly to your room through Fairmont Fit. In addition, an MP3 player, yoga mat, and stretch band are available upon request
· Hotel package rates begin at $845 USD per night and based on double occupancy

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Writers Block Rescue
The Plaza Hotel is proud to honor one of its most famous guests F. Scott Fitzgerald. His birthday is on September 24th so to celebrate, the hotel is offering a “Writer’s Block Rescue” promotion. Through the month of September, writers who are in search of inspiration can reserve a stay in The Fitzgerald Suite and receive the following amenities to enhance writing creativity and new ideas:
· Hotel accommodations in a luxurious The Fitzgerald Suite
· A hardbound copy of The Great Gatsby book
· Two champagne flutes etched with The Plaza logo, along with a complimentary bottle of champagne for birthday celebrations
· Silver “his and her” flasks from The Plaza Boutique
· The Plaza Hotel branded pen and stationary
· Hotel package rates begin at $1,595 USD per night

Seeing Central Park Package
Any time of the year, New York City’s Central Park is a popular place to visit. As a guest of The Plaza Hotel, now experience it in a unique way. The hotel’s “Seeing Central Park Package” includes a partnership with the Central Park Conservancy, so you can experience the full grandeur of Central Park.
· Luxurious accommodations in a hotel suite
· Private, customized tour of Central Park with Sara Cedar Miller who is the premier historian and photographer of the Central Park Conservancy
· Signed copy of Central Park, An American Masterpiece; Seeing Central Park, The Official Guide to the World’s Greatest Urban Park; or Strawberry Fields: Central Park’s Memorial to John Lennon by Sara Cedar Miller
· Members of Fairmont President’s Club will also receive a complimentary ‘Strawberry Fields’ cocktail toast at The Rose Club or The Champagne Bar to pay homage to Central Park
· Hotel package rates begin at $1,190 USD per night

The Magic Tree House
The Plaza Hotel offers both educational and fun adventures for its youngest guests. In partnership with Random House, the hotel’s program features NYC activities inspired by the popular Magic Tree House book series. Guests are given the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers to guide them, and Magic Tree House Plaza Hotel Passports to document their adventures. Through September 30, the Magic Tree House Experience package will be centered around Mary Pope Osborne’s book: Midnight on The Moon. Be sure to visit the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Between October 1 and November 30, visit the National Museum of the American Indian. Between December 1 – December 31, it’s A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time and Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens Fact Tracker.
· Luxurious hotel accommodations in a guest room or suite
· The Plaza Hotel-specific passport for collecting stamps throughout each trip, a special Magic Tree House pin to designate explorers, and a New York City welcome amenity
· Hotel package rates begin at $825 USD per night and based on double occupancy

To make a luxury travel reservation to New York City and stay at The Plaza Hotel, please contact us today. A travel concierge specialist will assist planning and booking your itinerary. Follow this luxury blog to learn about other VIP packages.

This year, Open Lighthouse Day will be celebrated in Maine on Saturday, September 13. This is a great way to visit Maine’s historic lighthouses for free.

Open Lighthouse Day is a very popular event, attracting between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors each year. The lighthouse event is sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, the American Lighthouse Foundation plus the Maine Office of Tourism.

In addition to being a fantastic family activity, the primary goal of Open Lighthouse Day is to both increase awareness of the state of Maine’s maritime heritage, plus teach event visitors all about the storied history of Maine’s iconic lighthouses and their devoted lighthouse keepers.

The special day will include a variety of promotions, packages and activities in addition to partnerships with local hotels and other popular state attractions.

Maine is proud to have the most coastal lighthouses found anywhere in the U.S., thus living up to its reference as “The Lighthouse State.”

Lighthouses first began appearing on the coast of Maine back in 1791. The intent was to help mariners navigate through the often treacherous, Atlantic Ocean waters. The coast of Maine also has numerous small islands, shoals and ledges that added to the danger of navigating ships.

At the turn of the 20th century, Main boasted at least 70 lighthouses to help protect the shipping and maritime industry. Today, 65 of those impressive lighthouses are still in operation.

For visitors who take part in Open Lighthouse Day, Maine’s lighthouses will be on display by a combination of ground visitation or viewings only by sea. Some lighthouses house museums or feature maritime displays within its buildings.

You can visit the following site to view a list of all participating lighthouses who are celebrating Open Lighthouse Day the Saturday, September 13. http://www.lighthousefoundation.org/news/events/maine-open-lighthouse-day-2014/.

Contact The Life of Luxury to help plan and book your travel reservations to Maine and experience Open Lighthouse Day. If you enjoy reading about unique luxury travel destinations, return to follow this luxury blog.

As the top producers of wine in the United States, the world famous vineyards of Napa Valley are a popular destination for wine lovers and vacationers who want to enjoy this scenic locale.

The countryside of Napa Valley provides an abundant variety of things to do including – touring the many wineries and lush vineyards, eating at one of the fine dining restaurants, shopping at quaint boutiques, and staying at luxury hotels, resorts and inns.

But one of the most popular things to do in Napa is ride the famous Napa Valley Wine Train. Departing from downtown Napa, you journey along 18 scenic miles of vineyards and rolling hills. It’s a unique experience and a chance to enjoy one of the best Napa restaurants.

The Napa Valley Wine Train offers several lunch and dinner packages. In addition, they have partnered with some of the local hotels to offer “overnight getaways.” You can also enjoy a private tour and wine tasting as part of their winery tours.

For the dinner tour, the train departs at 6:30 pm from the McKinstry Street Station in Napa. The train passes through the beautiful cities of Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and then St. Helena. The train rides through the heart of this famous wine region of California. After traveling about 18 miles north towards St. Helena, the train makes a brief stop before its return trip. In all, the 3 hour train ride covers 36 miles of picturesque landscapes.

But what is most enjoyable is the unforgettable, culinary experience. Kelly Macdonald is an award-winning Executive Chef and he cooks each meal to order aboard the train. It’s the ideal way to combine wonderful tasting food and sipping fine wine from Napa Valley.

As you first board the train to start your experience, it feels like you stepped back in time. The vintage rail cars have been carefully restored to their original beauty. The long line of train cars consist of a combination of 1915-17 Pullman dining cars and lounge cars, in addition to a 1952 Pullman Vista Dome car.

One of the train’s cars is the unique Silverado Car. This saloon-style car has been fully restored. As the only car without air-conditioning, between the months of May and October you can enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch menu and slide open the car’s windows to take in the Napa Valley breeze.

If you are looking for an intimate and private dining experience with a view, consider booking your table in the Vista Dome Car. There you can enjoy a delicious 5-course meal and gaze out of the elevated observation windows and take in the stunning views of Napa Valley’s wine country. This luxury dining car has been meticulously refurbished with decor that utilizes stunning Honduran Mahogany paneling along with classic, brass accents.

Our multiple-course gourmet dinner included – Hors d’oeuvres of seasoned vegetables, grapes, artisan cheeses and finely cut meats and salmon. The First Course was either a Baby Lettuce Salad or Soup du Jour. Next, we had a choice of four delicious entree’s: Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Salmon Hash Brown, Pan Seared Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallion or Sweet Pea Raviolis. There is also a Special of the Day that changes over time. Every course was excellent and with the train rolling through the scenic Napa Valley, it made for a perfect occasion.

You can’t have a gourmet meal without pairing fine wine. There were many choices of local Napa wines to choose from, such as – Jericho Canyon “Creek Block” Cabernet Sauvignon 2009; Reata “Three County” Pinot Noir 2012; Castello di Amorosa Sangiovese 2010 and Swanson Pinot Gregio 2011.

After our dinner was complete, we were served a delicious Harlequin Sorbet that was made from the Wine Train’s own Sorbets. Next we moved to the dessert car. We had two dessert choices to choose from: Chocolate Tiramisu and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Yum! My wife and I both agree they were superb and the ideal way to end an exquisite meal.

The Napa Valley Wine Train also offers wine tasting that is an additional fee of only $10 and well worth it! You can choose 4 tastes at the wine bar from about 30 different boutique wines exclusively from Napa Valley.

After wine tasting as night fell, we returned to our plush swivel chairs and gazed out the large windows at the passing Napa Valley scenery.

If you plan to visit Napa and enjoy the Napa Valley Wine Train, be sure to plan ahead. It’s a very popular activity during the summer and fall months, when grape harvesting begins, so make your reservations early.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is truly an amazing experience and a unique chance to view the beautiful, local scenery. It’s simply a terrific way to enjoy a gourmet meal and sip fine wines from Napa Valley – all aboard a historic train.

If you would like to make a travel reservation and ride the Napa Valley Wine Train, please contact The Life of Luxury. We can assist planning and booking your entire itinerary. If you enjoy hearing about unique luxury travel experiences, return to follow our luxury blog.

Napa Valley Wine Train
(800) 427-4124
(707) 253-2111 (local)