When its comes to luxury resort destinations Orlando, Florida isn’t necessarily the top of the list. When you think about Orlando, your first thought is more likely visions of theme parks, themed hotels, and general all-around chaos. While much of Orlando is that way, conveniently located to everything near the South end of the city is a bit of an oasis: Grande Lakes. During this year’s PGA Show, I was looking for a place to stay that was a little bit “comfier” than the typical hotels on International Drive near the Orange County Convention Center. I stumbled across Grande Lakes resort, which ..read more

When you think of the perfect place to retire or have a second home, what are the most important elements to look for? Beautiful views? Tons of activities? Fantastic golf? Ease and accessibility? Whatever it is you’re looking for, I can’t imagine many more perfect places in the world than Hualalai. Well, unless you’re looking for snow-covered mountains, if that’s the case, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Recently, I had the chance to spend 4 days with my family at the Four Seasons Hualalai, and the entire experience lived up to every (high) expectation we had for it. But I also got a chance to ..read more

What hasn’t been said about the Four Seasons Hualalai over the past 3 decades? “Best resort in Hawaii” “Best Four Seasons Golf Resort in the World” “The Ultimate Luxury Family Getaway.” I’ve been hearing it for years, and have received dozens of people asking me about it since I began Breaking Eighty. Everything from: How is the golf at Hualalai? To how does Hualalai compare to Punta Mita? I visited the Four Seasons Punta Mita a little over a year ago and was blown away. From the hospitality to the resort amenities to the fantastic golf on the Pacifico and Bahia courses – it was all world-clas ..read more

Until recently, the only Park Hyatt that I’ve stayed in was the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo. We almost stayed at the Shanghai property, but opted for the Banyan Tree instead. Typically I’ll visit New York City a couple times a year. But between having a newborn and a pandemic, I hadn’t made it back to the Big Apple since late 2019. But with plans to host an Eighty Club event at Oak Hill in Rochester, it only made sense to stop by the City for a few days. Not to mention the fact, I was able to get a round in on the wonderful Lower Course at Baltusrol. Since it was my first trip back in 3 ..read more

A few years ago the thought of going to Las Vegas and staying in a hotel without a casino, would seem ridiculous to me. In my 20s and early 30s, the whole reason to go to Vegas is to drink, gamble, and go to clubs that never quite lived up to expectations. So the idea of staying at a place that didn’t have a casino? Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind. Now, at the ripe old age of 37, I have a greater appreciation for peace and quiet. And, luxury.  Gone are the days of finding the $39 dollar-a-night room at Circus, Circus. Now, I’m willing to spend a bit mo ..read more

Part of the fun of having a quest like visiting the top golf courses in the world, or the top 100 bars in the world, are the cool and unique hotels you get to stay at on the journey. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to work off that hangover or recover from 36 hole days in a nice hotel than it is in a Motel 6. If you were making a list of the most iconic hotels around the world, you couldn’t have a proper list without the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Located on the top floors of the Shinjuku Park Tower building in the Shinjuku neighborhood of Tokyo, it’s arguably been the best-known hotel in the city ever sin ..read more

I still remember the first St. Regis hotel I ever visited. It was at the tail end of a 2 month round the world trip, at the St. Regis Shanghai. I was blown away. Sure at the time it was a brand new property, but everything about it was a step above.  From the in-room coffee service, to the luxury rooms, to the spectacular views – it was the perfect way to end an exhausting trip. 18 months later, we found ourselves in Singapore visiting 8 of the top 100 bars in the world. We booked a room at the St. Regis Singapore, and were just as impressed as we were the first go around in China. So muc ..read more

My time at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge might be the single most unexpected trip of my life. For reasons you’ll see shortly, I got to be much more familiar with the hotel on this trip than I expected. It was early September, and I was on a 7-day golf trip exploring the best Banff and Canmore had to offer. My buddy Scott and I played the wonderful Stewart Creek and Banff Springs golf courses during the first two days of our trip, and then after a morning round at Banff, we made the 4-hour trek from Banff to Jasper on Highway 93. Let me get this out of the way right up front: this is ..read more

There is so much I could write about Sunriver, Oregon, that I’m almost not even sure where to begin. Sunriver is a resort destination in Central Oregon, about 15 minutes outside of Bend. If you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Sunriver – and I think it’s about time we change that. I’ve been to nearly every major golf resort in Oregon. Bandon, Pronghorn, Tetherow – the list goes on. Hands down, there simply isn’t a place with more to do than Sunriver Resort. If you’re a diehard golfer, then obviously nothing is going to live up to the quality ..read more

For my first visit to Shanghai, I knew I wanted to stay someplace special. We were going to be there for 4 nights, so figured we’d stay at 2 different places to have a couple unique experiences while in the City. For our first two nights we opted for the Banyan Tree Shanghai, or the “Banyan Tree on the Bund” as they call it. I’d never actually stayed at a Banyan Tree before, but after seeing photos of their “Bund Oasis” rooms with a pool in the room, I was immediately intrigued. When I booked they didn’t have any available during the time we would be there, but the person helping me ..read more