Permanent Honeymoon

Inn at Blackberry Farm

When our travel agent told us that we just HAD to go to the Inn at Blackberry Farm, we were skeptical. A Relais & Chateaux resort near Knoxville Tennessee? It just did not seem possible.

But it is. The Inn at Blackberry Farm is one of the most deluxe and comfortable destinations for true permanent honeymooners. When we visited, it was one of the only Relais & Chateaux (the European Hotel Association that rates super luxury hotels worldwide) resorts in the United States. And it is well deserving of this nod.

The Inn is located on a large (2,500 acre, according to their website) rural property in Walland, Tennessee. With rolling hills and mountain views, the Inn is a wonderful place to escapes from the everyday grind. Guests are encouraged to stroll around the property, which boasts beautiful lake, a wedding chapel, rocking chairs with views and bike and horseback riding with arrangements. The property is now home to a Spa and an excellent restaurant. Activities include relaxing (of course), a cooking school, hiking and other outdoor activities. The Inn was once in a dry county, but it seems that that law has been rescinded, since they now boast a large wine cellar.

We stayed in one of the Estate Rooms, which was nestled into the eaves of the one of the two main houses on the property. They also have cottage rooms and, if you want to take the family, a full three-bedroom house for rent. All of the accommodations have an ample supply snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Our room shared a large common room with the others in the cottage — which initially we thought of as a bother, but it turned out fine. At night, we sat by the huge fireplace, played board games and read. All in all, an incredibly tranquil getaway.

The Jekyll Island Club

The names include J.P. Morgan, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Pulitzer… these families got together in 1886 and founded a hunting club on the Georgia’s faraway Jekyll Island. This club is the Jekyll Island Club, on of the most prominent resorts on the barrier islands around Georgia and South Carolina. In the late 1800’s the club was an exclusive retreat for the nation’s most moneyed families. It was home to one of the nation’s first transcontinental phone calls, the richest of bankers and industrialists and can taut guests including presidents and senators.

In 1986, the club was renovated and became a hotel and resort. The resort now has 157 rooms in three buildings, a grand dining room, a lending library and numerous indoor and outdoor activities year-round.

When we went to the Jekyll Island club, we stayed in the Annex building rather than the main building (the Club itself). The club boasts beautiful Victorian architecture including a huge flag-crested turret. In the Annex we had arguably the world’s largest whirlpool bath – it was at least six feet across and was ours exclusively. We also had a fireplace; however, as Juliana and I liked to joke long afterwards, “due to the historic nature of the property”, the attendant had to maintain the fire. The stay of course included many calls to the attendant to stoke the fire.

The property itself is exquisite. Close to area beaches, the resort offers many packages including winter and summer packages, family getaways, a culinary school and golfing vacations. For a weekend away from the grind, the Jekyll Island club provides millionaire surrounding to the rest of us.

Hotel Imperial - Vienna, Austria Europe

When we went to Vienna to visit Juliana’s cousin, we were booked at the Hotel Bristol in the center of the city. But we really wanted to be at the Hotel Imperial. The Hotel Imperial is world-renowned as an elegant and luxurious destination for visitors to the city of Beethoven and Freud. As we checked in at the Bristol, we immediately knew that there was a problem. At the registration desk, the attendant and the manager stepped into the back and began an intense discussion in German. It seems that they didn’t have our reservation at the Bristol. Bad news.

The good news, however, was that they decided to book us in a suite at their sister hotel – the Hotel Imperial. We were thrilled. Unfortunately, when we got to the “suite” we found it was a simple room with an alcove closet and a large bathroom. Not our definition of a “suite” for sure. Oh well. So, Juliana decided to take a shower after our short, crowded flight from Florence to Vienna. While she was in the shower, a maid came through the wall – literally. She apologized, but told me in her marginal English that she had to open the “salon” for us. So, she opened the door on the wall opposite the bed and I discovered that the salon was more like a ballroom. Thirty feet by fifteen feet with twenty-foot ceilings, the salon was unbelievable. With antique paintings of Austrian royalty, the salon completed our suite. I called to Juliana, “I’ll be in the salon!”

Needless to say, the Hotel Imperial was impeccable. We had a wonderful time there, but didn’t eat in the restaurant because of dinner plans with Juliana’s cousin. The Hotel Imperial is located on Ring Zero of Vienna – actually the very center of town. After a day in our “suite” we had to vacate the second morning to make room for the leader of an African nation (really, it’s true). The Hotel Imperial is everything we hoped it would be and we thank the management of the Bristol for making room (and lots of it) at the Imperial.

Hotel Tremoille - Paris

They often say in real estate that only three things matter: Location, Location, Location. Well, the Hotel Tremoille in Paris has these three things going for it, but that’s about all. The hotel is located in Central Paris on a (apparently) little known street called the rue de la Trémoille. When we arrived in Paris and got of the bus from the airport, we asked, in our broken French, where this street was located. The policeman checked his map and told us: “it is not in my guide”.

Hmmm, problem one.

Once we found the hotel, which is situated in between three of the most famous and travelled streets in Paris (Avenue Georges V, The Champ Elysees and Avenue Montainge), we discovered problem two. The hotel is rather shabby. Now, one might object and say that we are just a couple of pampered Americans that don’t understand European elegance. However, the humidity in our room was jungle-like, and the bed was quite possibly the lumpiest bed in any hotel in France. And believe me, I have slept in some pretty lumpy beds in the South of France as a college student including one that I rented in a shack owned by a fisherman in Marseilles.

Now for problem three: the management doesn’t seem to like Americans much. While much has been said of the animosity between the French and the Americans, for us it was palpable. When an Italian couple came it was hugs-and-kisses, but for us, the cold shoulder.

All that being said, the location is unparalleled. Walking distance to the Arch de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower and a short car ride to the Louvre, it really is close to just about everything. It is also quite close to the “memorial” for Princess Di, which we came across completely by chance.

My recommendation: location isn’t everything and avoid the Hotel Tremoille.