Sandhurst Miggins, model from Make Me a Supermodel and star of the Bravo TV docu-series, Tour Group, shared his thoughts on travel with Somewhere Luxurious.
What is your idea for the most romantic destination date? What would you plan for the date?
I truly believe romantic dates should be simple and she flow seamlessly from one element to the next. Having a sunset dinner overlooking a natural watering hole in Africa as the animals slowly progress to drink can be both therapeutic and exciting for a couple .
What is your favorite exotic destination to relax and why?
The Greek Islands and Rio de Janeiro are my favorite destinations to relax. The culture, the food, the sea, the people in both these destinations are so incredible that you just can’t go wrong in Greece and Brazil. The people just know how to welcome you with open arms no matter where you’re from, and by the time your trip is done you feel like part of the family.
What is the most luxurious/impressive hotel or resort that you’ve been to, and what impressed you the most about it?
Personally I try to avoid luxury hotels for myself this is based on the principle that I simply want to explore the city that I’m in and not be tempted to just stay in the room and be pampered. However when I make recommendations to some of my clients, I have to start with the Peninsula Hotels. Offering Rolls Royce airport pick ups and monogrammed pillow cases with your initials on them… opulence and excessive customer service is the base of their brand.
The Four Seasons Collection offers an extremely diverse array of luxury choices. From over the water bungalows in the Indian Ocean, allowing you to observe sea turtles and sharks swim by from the glass bottom floor in your room, to properties with strong historical roots like the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, that frequently caters to A-list celebrities throughout the year, the Four Seasons just has a resort for any mood you’re in.
The test of a true luxury hotel is its ability to anticipate and deliver on any needs and wants their guest may have in a timely fashion, going beyond both expectation and imagination.
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins
What was the best experience that you’ve had while traveling, and why did it make an impression on you?
Kenya was by far the most life changing experience I had while traveling. On Tour Group we had the opportunity to visit a Maasai village in the Mara and teach at the village school. As soon as I saw the children I was taken aback, because they were wearing the same exact school uniform that I wore as a child in Trinidad and Tobago.
I saw my face in all of them. As we started our lesson plan with the students I was taken back to my own school days when foreigners from Canada, the US and England would visit my primary school and teach us about their lives and cultures abroad. I remembered that those visits had such a monumental impact on me as it fueled my desire to explore the world and see it with my own eyes.
The concept of skyscrapers and snow to a 5-year-old boy on a small island in the Caribbean in 1991 was an unimaginable thing. Now I had come full circle and was doing the same for these kids. Enlightening them about the world beyond their village and having them teach me about theirs with great enthusiasm.
What is your favorite nightclub and why?
Cavo Paradiso in Mykonos, Greece is by far my favorite club. I love to dance, and I don’t mean just a two step. The Greeks just love to party and this club overlooking the famous Paradise Beach provides the best vantage point to get wild and sweaty and to move with reckless abandon. The outdoor pool near the dance floor adds an extra element to the nightly festivities! In the summer time it attracts some of the worlds hottest DJ’s and usually is the epicenter for the release of new beats
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins
What is your favorite spa and why?
My favorite spa is actually the Gellert in Budapest. Budapest is known as the “City of Baths” because of the many thermal springs found under the city. Centuries ago the Turks built grand bathhouses over the springs, some of which still exist to this day. The Gellert Baths are located in the Gellert hotel on the Buda side of Budapest.
Built in the early 1900’s it is not the most modern spa experience one might have but the art nouveau style in which it is designed brings you back to an era of old European charm almost like a time warp.
Massages facials and other beauty therapies are all available to experience However most visitors come to see the decor. It pays to be an early bird as it can get quite crowded in the middle and the end of the day.
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins
Photo courtesy of Sandhurst Miggins