Travel Picks: Top 9 celebrity-owned resorts
SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - What do Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, and Francis Ford Coppola have in common besides directing? They are all hoteliers.
Web site ProfessionalTravelGuide.com has come up with a list of the world's top nine celebrity-owned resorts where the famous lay out the red carpet.
This list was compiled by ProfessionalTravelGuide.com (here
editors-choice-751249/) and is not endorsed by Reuters.
1. Robert Redford's eco-conscious Sundance Resort, North Fork Provo Canyon, Provo, Utah
The 5,000-acre resort at the base of Mount Timpanogos hosts musicals six times a week in summer, shows screenings of indie films and documentaries, and offers art classes.
2. Richard Branson's Necker Island, The Valley, Virgin Gorda, Necker Island, British Virgin Islands.
Branson's private island resort is one of the Caribbean's most exclusive and expensive retreats where guests rent the entire island at a cost starting from $23,500 per night. Its sister property comes No. 7 in this list.
3. Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn, Stann Creek Distrcit, Placencia, Belize
Located 3 kms (2 miles) out of town, this luxury resort with 18 rooms skirts a palm-studded beach. It is a chic beach counterpart to the jungle-bound Blancaneaux, listed No. 5 in this list, which is also owned by Coppola. Guests will often book partial stays at both.
4. Bono's The Clarence, 6/8 Wellington Quay, Dublin, Ireland
Founded in 1852, the property was a declining middle-grade house until its 1996 reincarnation as a posh 50-room boutique hotel. Across the river from The Morrison, this hotel is partly owned by impresario and venture capitalist, Bono, the frontman for the rock band U2, but his interest is purely profit.
5. Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge, Cayo District, San Ignacio, Belize
Located 130 km (81 miles) southwest of Belize City, in the hard-to-reach foothills of the Mountain Pine Ridge National Park, guests can sip cocktails in a bamboo bar or play croquet on the velvety lawn amid lush foliage.
6. Clint Eastwood's The Mission Ranch Resort, 26270 Dolores Street, Carmel, California
Located on the Carmel River facing extensive wetlands, this resort has a reputation as an unpretentious and affordable retreat which continues to thrive under the guidance of owner Clint Eastwood. He converted a working ranch into this unique farm-style hotel. Local craftsmen replicated the original woodwork and iron hardware during restoration.
7. Richard Branson's Ulusaba Game Reserve, Sabi Sands Reserve, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, South Africa
At $2,400 a night, the Ulusaba Game Reserve on the banks of the Mabrak River is a place to relax after a long day of safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
8. Doris Day's Cypress Inn, Lincoln & 7th Street, Carmel, California
Just six blocks east of the ocean, this Carmel landmark has been successfully owned and operated by Doris Day and her son Terry Melcher for nearly three decades. Pet friendly -- with dogs parading and playing in all public areas -- this 1929 Moorish Mediterranean landmark property is for travelers and their four-legged friends.
9. Gloria Estefan's Cardozo Hotel, 1300 Ocean Drive Miami Beach, Florida
Owned by singer Gloria Estefan and producer and husband, Emilio Estefan Jr., this 1939 art-deco hotel is a frequent backdrop for celebrity sightings, and its popularity with Cubaphiles and salsa fans.
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)
