If you're looking for a unique way to see Italy, we've got quite the adventure to tell you about. Italy by Ferrari offers you the opportunity to tour Italy as part of a real Ferrari team while personally driving one of the latest models of Ferrari. For eight days you'll zip through Rome and Tuscany, while enjoying seven nights accommodation in 5-star luxury hotels.

The best part of the Italy by Ferrari trip is the lack of hassles. You get to enjoy the thrill of driving while your private tour director and his staff take care of everything else. During the day you'll get to travel up to one thousand kilometres accelerating through the steep, winding roads of Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany, putting your driving skills to the ultimate test. The next morning you will find your car cleaned, refilled and checked up, ready for the start of your day.

The Italy by Ferrari trip starts in Rome where you'll get a full tour and a chance to visit the Ferrari store. After a brief introduction to the world of Ferrari you'll hit the road on Day 3 for a spectacular drive on the world famous Mille Miglia. After driving up to 200km that afternoon you'll leave your car behind for a luxurious trip to the Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort.

Day 4 brings a tour of the magnificent Val d'Orcia and yet another trip to the Fonteverde. On Day 5 you'll embark on a 2-hour drive to Florence for a guided tour of the historical centre. The final day of driving, Day 6, brings you back on the famous Mille Miglia for a trip to the Italian coast where you'll enjoy the Mediterranean Sea before ending your adventure.

Italy by Ferrari includes the 8 day tour, 4 days of driving the Ferrari, car insurance, 7 nights accomodations at 5-star hotels and two meals at world famous restaurants, spa treatments, transfers and a 2-3 person travel staff. For more information, including pricing, be sure to call 866-297-7725 or email info@italybyvespa.com.

The PimpWiz.com Bottom Line: There's no better way to explore Italy than in the driver's seat of a Ferrari.

Labels: Scott Bernstein, Travel

Believe it or not, the southern coast of Vietnam has become one of the hottest up-and-coming vacation destinations. In fact, Vietnam was identified as one of 53 “hot-spot” tourist destinations in 2008 by the New York Times, with golf cited as a main attraction for international visitors. One of the biggest issues in the country is the lack of five-star resorts, but that's about to change with the opening of the first phase of the Ho Tram Strip resort/casino in 2010.

The Vietnamese government awarded a highly coveted investment certificate to Canada's Asian Coast Development Ltd. (ACDL) that allows for the construction of the formerly war-torn nation's largest tourism venture. The Ho Tram Strip will eventually be a 9,000-room luxury resort hotel that should rival the finest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, thanks to the help of designers the Steelman Partners - one of Sin City’s premier architectural firms.

The first phase of the project, which includes a five-star hotel resort with 1,100 rooms, a golf course designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman and Vietnam’s first Las Vegas-style casino, is scheduled to open in late 2010. Next up will be Phase 2, which includes a second luxury resort with 1,300 rooms, a casino as well as ten restaurants and nightclubs. The second phase is scheduled to open in the spring of 2011. Within 10 years the Ho Tram Strip resort will be fully realized.

Now, you're probably thinking "why would I go to Vietnam for vacation?" The answer lies in the gorgeous white-sand beaches and tropical climate, as well as a slew of attractions that have opened in the hopes of attracting Westerners. Upon completion,the Ho Tram Strip will include five resorts and an international conference center. Guests will be provided with recreational options such as luxury spas, state-of-the-art performance facilities, upscale retail stores and a large selection of gourmet restaurants offering both local and international cuisine. Sounds good to us!

Labels: Scott Bernstein, Travel, vietnam

Do you live in the most gluttonous city in America, or the most vain? Recently, Forbes ranked which cities have succumb to each of the seven deadly sins. Greed, envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, pride and wrath, not one was left out. For each sin the top ten cities are ranked based on statistics, and many of the results are quite surprising.

So which city is the most money hungry? If you guessed Los Angeles, you're a bit off, the city only came in at #6. But just up North, it's San Jose that takes the #1 spot with billionaire residents like Steve Jobs, and San Francisco took second. These two cities also took the second and third spots for pride, but surprisingly it's Salt Lake City, Utah that takes the top prize for this sin. If you're looking for a plastic surgeon, this is the place to be; the city has a whopping six cosmetic surgeons per 100k people. And when it comes to envy, the green eyed monster seems to be rooted in the south. Memphis, Tennessee was ranked #1 for high rates of burglary, auto theft, and theft all around.


A few cities you might want to avoid are Detroit, Baltimore and New Orleans, which rank #1 through #3 under wrath, meaning you better watch your back or you might just get shot. And if you're looking to be productive, once again, scratch Memphis off the list; they were rated the #1 city for sloth as well as gluttony, followed closely by New Orleans and Las Vegas Nevada. And as random as it may seem, Denver, Colorado is the #1 most lustful city, but at least it's residents are practicing safe sex; the city was ranked high for it's per capita contraceptives.


So there you have it, a basic map of the US showing you where to avoid the wrath and pride of others. Or perhaps when it comes to lust and greed, you just might not be able to stay away.


A PimpWiz Exclusive

Labels: Jet Setting, K. Lawson, Travel

Malibu's Carbon Beach, it's an area where the rich and famous live and play, while everyone else just dreams about it. Hey, it isn't nicknamed billionaires' beach for no reason! If forking over $100,000 to rent one of the nearby mansions seems a bit steep, there's a newly renovated Malibu Beach Inn, and you can think Hollywood mogul David Geffen for spending $10 million to make this place look brand spankin' new.

Staying at the Malibu Beach Inn will put you beach front, with a gorgeous view of the ocean and possibly the Malibu Pier, depending where the room is situated. The rooms may not be huge, but they are comfy and the beachy atmosphere is played up in the decor of the room, and a gas fireplace. There might not be a tub in the bathroom, but guests are treated to designer bath robes.

When you're feeling hungry, there's the Carbon Beach Club, a restaurant exclusively for hotel guests. The restaurant is serving up fresh California cuisine daily, which you can enjoy on a beach front terrace, or indoors but who wants that when you can have the sand in your feet? Or room service can quickly send up an entree of your choice. The Inn might be lacking a few amenities by the way of a fitness center or a pool, but each room is loaded with useful equipment, such as a 32" plasma tv and an ipod equipped clock radio. Wifi is also available in the lobby and terrace.

Of course, relaxing in the sun and taking in the Malibu beauty is going to cost you. We can all live like a millionaire for $675 a night on weekends.

A PimpWiz Exclusive

Labels: K. Lawson, Travel

Traveling from New York City to London has never been easier thanks to a new perk from all-premium-class Eos Airlines. If you buy an unrestricted ticket between JFK and London's Stansted airport on Eos, they will cover the cost of helicopter transfers to/from the Wall Street or East 34th Street heliports in Manhattan. US Helicopter provides the eight minute ride for Eos customers.

Simply check-in at the heliport and board one of US Helicopter's Sikorsky choppers after a brief screening by a TSA agent. An Eos agent will meet you at the airport, and escort you either to the lounge or directly to your flight. You don't even have to handle any of your bags, as they will be checked straight through to London. Eos offers 44 flights a week between JFK and Stansted.

Another new service worth noting recently opened up at JFK. Itseasy.com, a company that specializes in expediting US passports and foreign visas, opened a 24/7 service center for travelers. Let's say you aren't allowed to board a flight because your passport doesn't have enough pages. Just head to the Hotel Desk on the ground floor of Terminal 4, and look for Itseasy.com's emergency help desk.

Other uses for Itseasy's new service desk include same day passport processing (in most cases), a Concierge service and the ability to secure visas for future travel. This is the first desk of its kind at an American airport. Who says New Yorkers aren't ahead of the curve?

A PimpWiz Exclusive by Scott Bernstein

Labels: Scott Bernstein, Travel

If the cold of winter makes you pine for a tropical locale, you're not alone. Here in New York City the summer already seems like a distant memory. One resort we've had our eyes on is the gorgeous Cabo Azul in Los Cabos, Mexico. Cabo Azul combines three of our favorite things: luxurious accommodations, extraordinary culinary options and more pools and beaches then in a typical episode of Baywatch. You gotta love a resort comprised of huge villas designed by celebrity interior designer Dodd Mitchell.

Each villa at the resort features full service kitchens equipped with stainless steel designer appliances, private oceanfront outdoor cabana terraces, thatched canopy dark wood beds dressed with high thread count linens, as well as custom designed three-tiered metal lanterns. But you won't want to stay inside when there are over 12 oceanfront acres worth of goodies to take advantage of. You can even choose to rent your own private cabana, where you can get a massage under a canopy of stars.

You don't have to worry about ever being thirsty or hungry while staying at Cabo Azul, where the tequila and ceviches flow like water. Cabo Azul offers many different dining options both inside and outside. One day you can swim up to the pool side bar for a quick snack and a margarita, while at night you can have dinner and drinks delivered directly to your villa. We don't like to limited when we go on vacation, so appreciate all of the choices this place offers.

The owners of Cabo Azul are in the process of building a world-class nightlife, which should take this place to the next level when it opens in June. But for now the Tequila Bar and Javier's Cantina and Grill offer a couple of cool places to unwind at night. If relaxation is your game, you might want to spend some time in Cabo Azul's three thousand square foot spa. The staff at Cabo Azul can also hook you up with the best golf, shopping and sport fishing nearby through one of their many concierges. We're just scared that when head down there, we'd never come back.

A PimpWiz Exclusive

Labels: Scott Bernstein, Travel

Welcome to the Maison 140, a unique luxury boutique hotel that isn’t far from home, but resonates the culture of the Far East, and pays homage to traditional Parisian décor. An unlikely yet incredibly compatible couple, East and French meet at this 43-room retreat in Beverly Hills, CA, to create one of the most stunning and well-designed spaces.

For travelers who have an appreciation for style and innovation, Kelly Wearstler (who re-designed the space), leaves little visually to be desired. Bold and sexy colors and textures, whether you opt for a “Mandarin” styled room, or a “Parisian” one, your experience at the Maison 140 will be one of luxury and brilliance. In-room spa treatments, to designer linens and robes, imagination leads the service and living like a luminary has never been so accessible.

Bar Noir, the intimate lounge and bar in the hotel, continues the antique-modern fusion style and invites guests to enjoy signature drinks created to be true to their Eastern and French origins, and to sink down into the comfort of a refuge within a refuge.

Maison 140 has something else unique to offer. The ENTIRE property can be rented, including all guest rooms, through the end of 2007 for holiday parties and events. For a buyout of $15,000 per night, pending availability, the Maison is yours. From a 43-course dinner (43 rooms too!), to a wine and cheese tasting, anything is possible, and everything is YOURS!


This is truly is one maison not to be missed.

140 Lasky Drive (S. of Santa Monica)
Beverly Hills, CA
310-407-7767

Labels: Travel