Buenos Aires Live Cam

There are few things in life more exceptional than a vacation at Four Seasons resorts. Except of course, if it is a golf vacation. In keeping with Four Season tradition, each resort welcomes you with unsurpassed elegance and a superb level of personalized service. What's more, they all feature championship golf courses, either on property or nearby. From Aviara to Argentina you'll enjoy exciting play on courses designed by such legends as Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones II and Jack Nicklaus. Play one or play them all. That is, if you're up for the challenge. And the pampering.

As road warriors gear up for a busy fall schedule, a growing number are taking opportunities to turn business trips into mini-getaways. This comes as fewer professionals find they can set time aside for extended vacations. In fact, a look at the most common requests of corporate guests at many Four Seasons properties shows that, in addition to the expected amenities like cellular phones and modem lines, there is a real demand for children's services.

According to Hans Willimann, ex general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, "The majority of our business mix on weekends is families with kids. Many business executives travel during the week, then add on the weekend with their families." As a result, the Hotel and its sister, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (a Four Seasons property) offer a "Family First" package that includes two connecting guest rooms, along with special amenities for kids. Both also offer "Family Suites," which at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago means two full bedrooms, a living room, a full working kitchen, study and two full baths.

The convenient locations of several Four Seasons urban and resort properties in Asia offer natural combinations for business travellers who want to extend their stay. Executives doing business in Jakarta, for instance, can travel onward to Bali for a getaway, perhaps with their families. Similarly, a stay at The Regent Bangkok is easily coupled with The Regent Resort Chiang Mai, where The Residences (a number of extraordinary private homes available to resort guests) offer the ultimate in family accommodations.

Four Seasons has signed a long-term management contract for its first property in South America: Four Seasons Hotel Caracas in Venezuela. The 212-room hotel is expected to open in late 1998 in the fashionable Altamira district as part of an exclusive development which will also include 116 luxury residences with full hotel services and a small commercial area.

Four Seasons will manage Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence in Cairo, Egypt, opening in early 1999. The 20-storey, 273-room hotel will be part of The First Residence mixed-use residential and retail complex. Guest rooms will provide views of the Nile, the Pyramids of Giza and the city's botanical gardens.

Four Seasons Hotel Dublin will open in 1999, with construction starting early next year. The 225-room hotel will be small and residential in scale, with 25 serviced executive suites and a tranquil garden setting within the historic Royal Dublin Society's 42-acre showgrounds.

Guests are clamouring to book their weddings at The Regent Singapore before the end of 1997 as 1998 – the Year of the Tiger – is considered bad luck. Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach has 10 place settings of 14 karat gold-rimmed Fabergé Imperial Egg china, available on request for special dinners in The Restaurant. Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo offers guests a choice of six kinds of pillows ranging from the traditional feather to soba bead (a grain), wood-chip and various combinations of these materials.

Four Seasons Resort Maui's signature oversized bathrooms (some are larger than certain studio apartments in New York) are so popular that they are routinely recreated in guests' homes, down to the finest detail. A frequent stop on horticultural tours, the 20 acres of gardens at Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara include 81 unusual species such as ancient Chinese ferns, the giant bird of paradise and the Australian kentia palm, whose pods are so valuable the staff are often approached to sell them.

As the holiday season approaches, international travellers may be inclined to get a headstart on their gift list by carving out extra time for shopping. But knowing where to find the best deals and what the local customs are can be daunting. The Concierges at Four Seasons properties worldwide offer tips that take the hassle out of holiday shopping. Southeast Asia is still the place to shop for precious gems and priceless jewellery. But the Concierge at The Regent Chiang Mai at Mae Rim Valley warns shoppers that imitations abound. Rubies from Burma and Cambodia, for example, can be confused with much less expensive spinel.

For ready-to-wear clothing, most of which is made to fit smaller Asian sizes, Westerners can ask the Concierge to direct them to shopping areas that carry a better selection of larger sizes. Although once a good buy, electronics in Asia are now generally the same price and quality as found in the U.S. And visitors should know that voltage levels of electronics purchased in Asia might not be equivalent to levels used in other countries. Bargaining is a must in the numerous markets and street stalls of Southeast Asia, say the Concierges. However, travellers should bargain only if they intend to purchase an item at a fair price. In general, don't expect more than a 24-percent discount.

Istanbul offers a surprising array of upscale stores and luxury goods. Several malls showcase boutiques selling local and internationally recognized products. And just steps from Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul is the famed Covered Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi) with sections dating back to 1461 and encompassing more than 4,000 shops. Rugs, leather goods, silver, gold, and Turkish arts and crafts are among the wares to be found here. Four Seasons Hotel Berlin is also ideally located for the traveller with shopping on the agenda. Within the same block is Galeries Lafayette, the acclaimed Parisian department store, with Escada, Bennetton and other upscale boutiques nearby on Friedrichstrasse.