Lucky guests of the lauded, exclusive and pricey (funny how those three things so often go together) Little Palm Island Resort & Spa  are welcomed into the elegant Shore Station where bags are whisked away, cars are parked (you won’t need them where you’re going) and hands are filled with a glass of champagne or a refreshing Gumby Slumber—the resort’s signature rum punch—made from coconut rum, spiced rum, pineapple, orange and cranberry juice topped with a “shot" of shredded coconut that’s been marinated in 151 proof rum.

We’ve always been a fan of Auberge Resorts, and last year when we were sloshing through the mud and wine of Calistoga, we were lucky enough to indulge in a spa treatment at the super swanky Solage Calistoga. The newest Auberge in the family is the just-opened Encantando. It’s set on 57 acres, just steps away from the Santa Fe National Forest. Guests can choose from one of 65 casitas, and spend their days hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding. To ease the aches and pains, the huge spa also features steam rooms and soaking pools. Encantando, 198 State Road 592, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506 Phone: (877) 262 -4666.

Compiled by The International House and Karen Catchpole (note that ** selections are recommendations by iTravel iShop writer Karen Catchpole)

Shopping

Pied Nu
You’ll find a little bit of everything at this lovely boutique, from homewares, jewelry and clothing as well as beauty products. Designers carried include Cathy Waterman, Emma Hope, Les Chemin and Schumacher.

Dallas is hot in the summer, and if you need to cool off and don’t have your own pool, you’d better hope you are staying at the new Starwood owned Joule hotel. In addition to its swanky guestrooms and spa, this luxury hotel also has a stunning, outdoor rooftop pool. The Joule is all about big, Texas-sized style. Adam Tihany has done the interiors, and the in-house restaurant is by Charlie Palmer. Best of all, Nieman Marcus is just a block away. Rates start at $270. The Joule, 1530 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. Phone: (214) 748-1300.

In the summer, when it comes to choosing your outfit in a heat wave, less is definitely more. So if you’re wearing a little sundress or a simple skirt and top, you have to make sure your accessories deliver a lot of pop. Cheap and cheerful, colourful bangles are a great start. Check out these eye-popping patterned bracelets from Kitson. The stretchy metallic bracelets are just $12 each – and will look great with a tan. Also available online at ShopKitson.com.

Just in time for the heatwave and for that summer share in Hamptons comes the first Manhattan Lilly Pulitzer store. Lilly prints are de rigeur in Palm Beach and New England, as well as certain parts of the Upper East Side. While some of the prints can be a little, well, much, the cotton dresses are really cute and just buying a Lilly accessory or two will add some much needed, preppy-approved colour to your outfit. And if it all does feel a little too much, head downtown to Tory Burch, which is a Manhattan take on New England prep. PS: for some great interior shots, check out this blog. Lilly Pulitzer, 1020 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10021. Phone: (212) 744-4620.

If the “summer” weather in San Francisco has you down, how about a spot of shopping to lift your spirits? Check out the new Built by Wendy boutique, which opens later this week. The company was founded in 1991 by Wendy Mullin, and she has been steadily opening Built by Wendy boutiques in New York’s Little Italy, Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Her San Francisco store is her fourth. Wendy's signature look is clean and preppy with a twist, and her collection includes men’s and women’s jeans, dresses, sweaters and shoes.  And if you’re a DIY kind of gal who wants to save a bit of money, you can also buy Built By Wendy patterns and sew your own blouses and dresses. Built by Wendy, 3520 20th Street, between Mission and Valencia, San Francisco, California. Phone: (415) 824-1562.

If you’re a fan of supermodels- in particular American model Guinevere van Seenus -  book it down to New York’s Pace/MacGill Gallery. Running through June 14 (so hurry!) the exhibit “Guinevere”  showcases the work of photographer Paolo Roversi, who considers Guinevere to be his muse. The photos ran the gamut from prim and Victorian to naughty indeed.  Many of the images have a dreamy, vintage quality look.Pace/MacGill Gallery, 32 East 57th Street, 9th Fl. New York, New York 10022. Phone: (212)759-7999.

“You know, the Pitts were here this season,” whispered Julie Wright, a real estate broker at Snowcreek Resort in Mammoth Lakes, California.  No one was around, but she kept her voice low, as if she were telling me a secret. Julie was discreet and respectful, and just as excited as the hoards of fans that snapped blurry cell-phones pictures of “BAMPSZ” from ski lifts. Mammoth is definitely hot after a visit by Brangelina and their kids this past February. In ski season, the mountain town on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is always bustling with So Cal families on winter holiday. I imagine that the Pitts just wanted to do some snowboarding, eat chili out of a bread bowl, and teach their kids how to pizza wedge down Mammoth Mountain, just like everyone else.  

I’ve never met a Rockefeller and my last name is certainly not Carnegie or Vanderbilt, but during my stay at The Point  I was given a taste of what it must be like to be a bold-named guest of one of America’s wealthiest and most hospitable families. Originally built in the early 1930s as Camp Wonundra—the mountain home of William Avery Rockefeller (John D.’s nephew)—The Point is now an exclusive 11 room Relais & Chateaux retreat where everything including all food, drink and activities is included and nothing is too much to expect, just as the Rockefellers hosted their friends here for years.