Four Passport-Free Destinations for Your Holiday Getaway

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@Jason Dewey 2018

This holiday season, will you be conquering black diamonds in the Rockies? Refueling on Vitamin D with your toes in the sand? Or strolling down Fifth Avenue in search of the perfect gift? Whether you’re a beach-obsessed tastemaker, winter sport enthusiast, or city sophisticate, there’s no better time to unwrap this quartet of passport-free destinations, and enjoy these hand-picked properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ that are available for your stay in each destination.

Plus, when you book your stay at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express Card, you can earn six times the Marriott Bonvoy™ points. Terms apply.

Here’s how to spend a dream day in Aspen, San Juan, New York City, and Miami.

@Jason Dewey 2018

For the Thrillseeker: Aspen, Colorado

A perennial favorite of alpine-seeking glitterati, Aspen is arguably the ritziest ski resort in the country. But look past its posh reputation and retail-stamped town center, and you’ll find a more rugged personality from its origins as a silver mining town.

After a healthy breakfast at Mawa's Kitchen, drive up to the eerie Ashcroft Ghost Town, an abandoned boom-and-bust settlement with multiple original structures still standing, including a post office, saloon, and inn. Then instead of shredding snowpack on Aspen Mountain, fly overhead with a tandem paragliding session with Aspen Paragliding.

If the thought of dangling from the sky makes you shudder, opt for a snowshoeing session at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. Refuel with a spread at Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Farm Shop (they’ve got a whole section dedicated to sublime “boards”), then get ready for a performance at the historic Wheeler Opera House, whose holiday series includes concerts, magic shows, and film screenings. Then end your night at Bosq with chef Barclay Dodge’s globally inspired plates with locally farmed and foraged ingredients.

Where to stay: The brand new W Aspen offers a sleek interpretation of Aspen’s mining history through its ultra-modern design. You’ll notice wallpaper and millwork that recall old mine shaft fortifications, and lighting that mimics the sun beaming through tunnel cracks. The W is the hottest place to post up for a ski vacation with Aspen’s only year-round public rooftop (including a heated pool), a thumping après ski bar called 39 Degrees, and unique rooms with quad-queen bunk beds that can house up to 8 guests.

For the Family: San Juan, Puerto Rico

If one of your 2020 resolutions is to spend more time with family, get a head start with a holiday jaunt to the sunny isle of Puerto Rico. Gift your loved ones with Caribbean beaches, tropical rainforests, and food with Latin flare—starting with chocolate for breakfast at Chocobar Cortes. The family-owned, bean-to-bar chocolate maker incorporates the ingredient into many of their dishes including a brioche avocado toast and marbled waffles.

After breakfast, bring the clan to the Puerto Rico Museum of Art for its impressive permanent collection of Puerto Rican art from the 1500s to the present, then migrate over to Santurce POP for some souvenirs and gift shopping. This small business incubator is housed in a sprawling warehouse space, hosting over a dozen retail and food stalls from local entrepreneurs and artisans.

Grab an early beachfront dinner at Oceano in the ritzy Condado neighborhood. Seafood is the specialty here, so go all out on ceviche, paella, and shrimp mofongo (a Puerto Rican staple dish). On your way back to the hotel, pass through the Calle Loíza neighborhood, an up-and-coming epicenter for vibrant street art, culinary adventures, and eccentric boutique shopping.

Where to stay: A quick 30 minute ride from the city center, the upscale St. Regis Bahia Beach resort is nestled within Caribbean’s only certified Gold Audubon Signature Sanctuary. The property’s commitment to environmental issues is top of mind with a dedicated “green team” that supplies fresh produce and to the resort’s restaurants. Sign the whole family up for nature walks or kayak tours, or participate in the properties daily traditions of koi fish feeding or poolside s’mores. And when you need the “me-time,” Iridium Spa’s dazzling facilities and the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed golf course are ideal escapes.

Get an up to $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® (or St. Regis brands) when you book direct using a special rate for a 2-night minimum stay with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express Card. Terms apply

For the City Sophisticate: New York, New York.

People from all over the world descend on New York City during the holidays. And what’s not to love, from Fifth Avenue’s elaborate window displays to the sparkling tree at Rockefeller Center, and ice skaters twirling at Bryant Park?

Begin with breakfast at Bourke Street Bakery, a popular Australian import making some of the city’s best baked goods and sandwiches, like a cheesy BEC roll with bacon and egg. Make sure you book tickets in advance for this holiday classic: the Rockettes spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Catch the 11 a.m. performance of the famous dance troupe’s eye-high kicks, then meander to the Grand Holiday Bazaar in Grand Central, a stellar spot for gift-scouting.

Zip downtown to The Jones for lunch, a reinvention of the iconic Great Jones Cafe with excellent seafood dishes like red snapper crudo and chef Jack Harris’s own version of a filet o’ fish sandwich—a true guilty pleasure. When you start craving a tipple, make your way to Rolf’s in Gramercy, NYC’s premier Christmas-themed bar (and photo backdrop) thanks to its ceiling dripping in glitzy ornaments and tinsel. For dinner, Rezdôra is just walking distance away, where you can enjoy a tasting menu of Emilia-Romagna delights like anolini ravioli with ham and stracciatella with Vignola cherries.

Where to stay: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is an old-world jewel that just underwent an elegant hotelwide renovation by powerhouse design firm Gilles & Boissier. The 1930s landmark is a dreamy home base for exploring the city, sitting just below Central Park. Don’t sleep on craft cocktails and locally-sourced small plates at Contour, the property’s new all-day gastrolounge. No vacation at this property is complete without a little self-care in the divine La Prairie Spa, a workout in the fitness center, or with on-demand virtual classes in the Movement Center.

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express Card, you’ll get up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at a hotel that participates in Marriott Bonvoy. Terms apply

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For the Tastemaker: Miami, Florida

While Miami recovers from the fashionable crowds and nonstop parties of Art Basel earlier in the month, you’ll be arriving just in time to enjoy Magic City’s holiday pleasures. Take advantage of one of the few beach-friendly cities in the country at this time of year, and earn three times the Marriott Bonvoy™ points when you book flights directly with the airline using the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express Card. Terms apply

Start with Miami’s best cup of joe at All Day in Miami’s Park West neighborhood. The trendy, low-key hangout was founded by a champion barista, featuring a breakfast menu of fresh-made bagels, eggs done three ways, and a tres leches-soaked brioche french toast. Continue on to the trendy Wynwood district to wade through over 80,000 square feet of murals and street art.

Further north in Edgewater, you’ll find Amara at Paraiso a sprawling bayfront bistro serving up Latin flavors with coastal ingredients, many of them charred on a Josper charcoal grill-oven hybrid. Snack on stone crab claws, snapper ceviche, and grilled local fish crafted by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz. Before returning to Miami Beach, make a stopover in the emerging Design District for its modern architecture, interior design showrooms (check out the Moore House), and ultra-high end retail shops. If you’re in town on December 18th, sign up for art critic Margery Gordon’s free art tour of the neighborhood—it only happens twice a month.

Make a dinner reservation at Stubborn Seed for its 8-course tasting menu, where the chef Jeremy Ford’s philosophy of elevating honest ingredients comes to life. Lavash bread with chicken liver butter, jojo tea cured cobia fish, and a juicy koji wagyu ribeye are a few of the dishes you’ll enjoy in the artsy-meets-industrial dining room.

Where to stay: Sitting away from the madness of South Beach, the beachfront Miami Beach Edition Hotel is the city’s finest boutique design hotel and a posh enclave for discerning travelers. Soak in the Floridian sun either at the two ocean-facing pools or at the chic members-only beach club. The Edition’s state-of-the-art wellness programs not only includes a stunning fitness center flush with natural light, but also RoyaFit personal training and outdoor classes like yoga and beach boot camp. Check out the Matador Room, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s innovative Latin fusion restaurant, before the Basement entertainment hub, which has an indoor ice skating rink, bowling alley, and movie theater.

Click Here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express Card.