Sherman's Travel

We’ve written about all sorts of niche butlers on this blog (see: baby butlers, butler picnics) but Lima’s Miraflores Park Hotel might have one of the more sensuous offerings: Bath Butlers, a service only available in Junior and Presidential suites.

True to the brand, this Orient Express property is known for its elegant surroundings and highly personalized service. Once you check in to this chic Lima property in Miraflores, a trendy residential neighborhood within the city, summon your butler.

Enjoy a half-hour massage arranged in your room prior to your bath to quiet the mind and relax the body. As you slip away in to a state of bliss, your butler will be busy drawing a bath to your liking. Carefully and individually selected bath oils, salts and soaps will be added, along with candles dimly lit and surrounding the bath.

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A proper picnic demands plenty of planning: Before taking a single bite you have to prepare food, pack the basket, and find a dry patch of grass to sit on. Let someone else handle the muss and fuss at London’s The Lanesborough, which is offering “Butler Picnics” in nearby Hyde Park for the second year in a row. For the elegant affair, a butler accompanies guests to the park and serves morsels from the kitchen of Apsley’s, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant (think Cornish poached lobster with Beluga mayo, Taittinger Rose Champagne, and house-made artisan chocolates). Naturally, paper plates won’t suffice; picnickers dine with crystal glasses, Royal Worcester china plates, and linen napkins. Butler Picnics cost about $409 per person and are available from May to August. www.lanesborough.com

See our London Travel Guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, packages, and more travel deals.

Weekend getaways are always a coveted luxury; an opportunity to get away from the daily grind. Throw in a hotel with an extensive on-site spa and you’re practically in heaven. 

Does it get any better? 

It just did.  Read more

Getting kids to bed on a normal night can be harrowing. Trying to get them to bed while on vacation can be down right impossible. What with hallways to run down, elevator buttons to push and beds to jump on, kids have a lot of ground to cover before its lights out.

But, as the old saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. 

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We’re crazy about our pets–and the White House is too. But just because Bo is getting all the special attention doesn’t mean that your pooch can’t be treated the same as “First Dog.” We’ve found some unique hotels and packages that cater to man’s best friend—with some interesting amenities to boot (or would that be to paw?)

Each guestroom at The Resort at the Mountain, in Mt. Hood, Oregon comes stocked with freshly baked homemade dog treats, dog dish, bottled water, and a dog-friendly hiking trail map, making your pet feel like White House royalty. Pampering your pooch doesn’t end there—the “First Dog” package includes a $30 credit towards a Canine Cuisine entrée from the in-room dining menu.

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We first wrote about the most expensive bath ever in the Summer 2008 issue of Sherman’s Travel. Featuring a 350-gallon infinity tub full of 1000-liters of Evian water, it’s quite possibly the most indulgent soak at $11,000. Guests of the Hotel Victor, South Beach, can only access this hyper-hydro experience by booking the penthouse. Now before your eyes bulge at the cost, take into account the service and amenities that follow. The full-service Spa-V team will draw the bath and set up a meal service of champagne (bring it on!), display of chocolates (yum! yum!), foie gras (huh?), and smoked salmon on a lollipop (wait a sec?). This is all being served alongside the tub? I’m definitely not into the eating in the tub trend. Where does the napkin go? Does etiquette just…go down the drain? What do you think? Does food have a place in the bathtub?

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