A Luxury Travel Blog

Toronto is the perfect destination for urban adventurers this spring. Whether hiking through Toronto’s best scenic trails or lively shopping districts, this year-round city rings in the season with heart-warming festivals, captivating cultural events and fun attractions. Come and see for yourself why Toronto is a celebrated cultural and entertainment capital of Canada.

1. This year Toronto’s Canada Blooms (17th-21st March 2010) theme is “Passions” and honours the energy, innovation and passion for excellence of Canada’s landscape and floral industry. In 2010 visitors can explore over 20 new display gardens presented by premier landscape designers and architects as well as browse the new Garden Travel Section featuring countries that include Ireland, Spain, Czech Republic and many Caribbean Destinations.

2. Celebrate Victoria Day weekend (22nd-24th May 2010) at Ontario Place with its annual fireworks on the waterfront. The Festival of Fire is back with world-class fireworks choreographed to the world’s finest music over 3 nights on July 1, 3 and 10. Additional entertainment surrounds each day, with entertainers performing throughout the park leading up to the fireworks. The shows start at 10:30pm, each night. Dates are subject to change.

3. Located adjacent from The Fifth Social Club, Toronto’s most renowned nightclub Cabin 5 has become one of Toronto’s newest hot-spots with its instant success upon its launch in September 2009. With part Aspen chic and part settler’s cabin decor, Cabin 5 promotes a feeling of welcome and good times. Furnished with pine antiques, an old harvest wagon, Hudson Bay blankets and two fireplaces, the room offers a separate entrance, coat check, and washroom facilities. Cabin 5 has proven to be great for an evening out or to host a fun-filled party or event.

4. Located directly across the street from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, The Loose Moose Tap & Grill® is one of Toronto’s most recognizable bars with a two decade-long legacy. Recently, the beloved restaurant has undergone significant changes in the kitchen, starting with a new chef, Cary Bynoe. Bynoe leads the culinary team at The Loose Moose and is responsible for an entirely new menu. With its close proximity to the Air Canada Centre and Rogers Centre, The Loose Moose is the ideal spot to enjoy a burger and a pint before or after the game or concert.

5. Look, Listen, Touch and Learn at Niagara Fall’s Bird Kingdom’s newly expanded Reptile Encounter Zone. Marvel at the historic area photos from a by-gone era in the new “Niagara Room.” Check out the amazing birds, reptiles and more on opening day, 1st March 2010.

6. This spring, Harry Potter fans will have the chance to step inside the famous wizard’s magical world when Harry Potter: The Exhibition opens at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto on April 9, 2010, its first venue outside the United States. The 14,000 square-foot exhibition offers fans a firsthand view of authentic artefacts displayed in detailed settings inspired by the film sets, including the Great Hall, Hagrid’s hut, the Gryffindor™ common room, and more.

7. The award-winning Tundra Trek, an awesome Arctic experience, home to polar bears, Arctic wolves, Arctic foxes, snowy owls, reindeer and lesser snow geese, is now open at the Toronto Zoo. Special features are the spacious new polar bear exhibit; the Wolf Bridge; the Goose Camp, depicting the contributions of native Canadians; the new Caribou Restaurant; Plexiglas Arctic fox burrows that kids can clamber through; a whale skeleton; bush plane; and state-of-the-art audio components that deliver realistic animal sounds. Tundra Trek conveys the impact of climate change and global warming. Construction on this new exhibit, valued at $13.5 million, began in August of 2007 and completed in August 2009.

8. This spring the Martin Goodman Trail gets a breath of fresh air as the 56-kilometre-long waterfront recreation trail sees the addition of new wave decks. The Martin Goodman Trail traverses a multitude of environments, all highly developed. Its western end starts just west of the Humber River at the Palace Pier condominium complex. Undulating ribbons of wood designed to resemble the water’s own waves, these architectural wonders are worth the walk.

9. Intrepid Urban Adventures has arrived in Toronto! Tour Guys has partnered with Intrepid Travel to be the exclusive provider of their Toronto Urban Adventures – unique walking tours and city experiences that range in duration from 2 hours to a full day. Toronto is now part of a rapidly expanding global network of cities that offer Urban Adventures to travellers and locals who want to get off the beaten track. Check out popular tours such as “Beer Makes History Better” and “Multicultural Kensington Market & Chinatown”.

10. Toronto’s most unique and classic charter boat has had a face lift! The New Beginnings which has operated on Toronto’s waterfront for decades has undergone major restoration in 2009/10 to restore its shine, brilliance and comfort. This beautiful teak and mahogany power yacht is perfect for birthday parties, weddings, corporate events or simply a cold drink out on the water! The “New Bee” has Available for hourly or daily charter, May-October. See www.harbourtourstoronto.ca for further info.

Sandals has revealed its plans for the first ever over-the-water suites in St Lucia which will begin construction in early 2011 and welcome guests in 2012. The Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort will consist of 26 brand new over-the-water suites in three luxurious categories. They will feature see-through glass floors offering views into the crystal clear waters below, over-the-water hammocks, outdoor showers and Jacuzzis, and lit water for stunning night-time viewing. Offering the ultimate in luxury and privacy, all the over-the-water suites will include full butler service, courtesy of Sandals Resorts’ exclusive partnership with the Guild of Professional English Butlers, so guests will also enjoy the highest level of service such as personalised minibars and surprise candlelit dinners on the deck in the evening.

The two-star Michelin Amber Restaurant at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, has announced its 2010 Epicurean series, celebrating the finest of food and wine. Each Epicurean dinner is preceded by an hour-long apéritif and introduction of fine wines by visiting winemakers and wine masters.

Upcoming dinners this Spring include:

14th April 2010 Spanish Wine Dinner
Hosted by Spanish celebrity winemaker Alvaro Palacios
Six-course menu with seven exceptional wines, including two vintages of his exceptional wine L’Ermita. Priced at HK$3,488

17th April 2010 Sake Dinner with Sato No Homare sake
Six-course menu with six exceptional sakes. Priced at HK$2,388

And in May 2010, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental will have the honour of hosting four additional Epicurean wine dinners with some highly prestigious wineries, and each dinner personally hosted by some of the world’s most acclaimed wine experts.

The first race of the highly-anticipated 2010 F1 season is on 14th March 2010 in Bahrain. New teams and driver combinations will fill the grid in what’s sure to be an epic season and the must-attend race of the season – the one every driver wants to win – is the Grand Prix of Monaco. And what better way to view this iconic street race than from the luxury of a yacht moored trackside in the harbour?

My Yacht Monaco, now in its 6th year, caters to discerning individuals seeking a premium hospitality experience. Guests enjoy an exclusive ‘kick-off’ party on the Friday night that’s attended by Monegasque Royalty and F1 drivers alike. Champagne, caviar, gourmet food, DJ and dancing on a yacht in the harbour certainly get the GP weekend off to a glamorous start. This is followed by a two days of race viewing with all-day, full, open premium bar and gourmet food served, complimenting the high octane action taking place just a few feet from the yacht.

And, for 2010, guests have the very rare opportunity to take laps around the closed Grand Prix circuit in a pace car. Talk about bragging rights!

2010 will signal a number of important cultural events in Poland, one of which is the opening of a new museum in Warsaw, dedicated to the life and works of Frederic Chopin.

The world’s largest collection of Frederic Chopin related items includes musical manuscripts, printed scores, Chopin’s correspondence, personal items (such as cufflinks and diaries), iconography, as well as biographical works about him and critical commentaries on his compositions and his reception as a composer. The collection was first started in 1899 by the Warsaw Music Society and is located in the renovated Ostrogski Palace, originally a castle founded at the end of the 17th century by Duke Janusz Ostrogski.

lastminute.com have started producing a list of the top 50 travel and lifestyle blogs this year, entitled ‘Oh You Lucky Bloggers 50′ and we’re delighted to see we’ve been included.  The list is being updated each month and we’re nicely positioned in 8th place for the months of January and February.  If you’d like to learn more or watch the list’s development, follow this link.

Great Hotels Organisation is welcoming a number of new members into its alliances (Great Hotels of the World, Special Hotels of the World and Metro Hotels).  Here’s a summary:

Great Hotels of the World

Eurostars Madrid Tower, Madrid, Spain
Located in Madrid’s business district, the five-star Eurostars Madrid Tower offers 475 modern and luxurious rooms and suites, and is the third-highest building in Spain.

Special Hotels of the World

Eurostars Grand Central, Munich, Germany
Located in the heart of Munich, the 229-room Eurostars Grand Central is a spectacular hotel with stunning architecture and interior decoration, perfect for leisure, business and meeting and incentive travel.

Metro Hotels

The Beechwood Inn, Coventry, United Kingdom
Housed in a converted thirteenth-century farmhouse, The Beechwood Inn offers 25 en-suite rooms and offers ideal corporate accommodation in Coventry. Facilities include a restaurant, function facilities and business support services.

Almanar Hotel Apartments, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Situated just five minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport, this hotel offers 85 tastefully decorated, luxuriously furnished and spacious apartments, a restaurant and café, health and fitness centre and rooftop swimming pool.

Hala Hotel Apartments, Muscat, Oman
Located in the business district of Muscat, just 20 minutes’ drive from the International Airport, Hala Hotel Apartments offers 48 luxurious suites perfect for business travellers. The hotel is a five-minute walk from the beach and also boasts a conference room, ballroom and business centre.

Umi Hotel Brighton, United Kingdom
Located on Brighton’s seafront and close to the city centre, the 77-room Umi Hotel Brighton boasts one of the most enviable positions in the city with excellent facilities and services. Only an hour’s train journey from London, the hotel is perfect for corporate and business travellers.

Umi Hotel London, United Kingdom
Situated close to London’s Hyde Park, the 117-room Umi Hotel London offers facilities for small business meetings, conferences, training courses and intimate dinner parties, as well as large functions and parties.

Crystal Cruises is announcing yet another industry first: one-night excursions to Russia’s former top secret Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City. From extreme G Forces and weightlessness to the “Final Challenge” in the world’s largest hydrospace laboratory, intrepid Crystal guests can train like modern Russian Cosmonauts on some of the largest, most advanced space equipment in the world. Four distinct Crystal Adventures, available from St. Petersburg with five Crystal Symphony summer Baltic voyages, take guests to Star City, built in the secluded forests outside Moscow:

* Hydrospace: “The Final Challenge” – Considered the most advanced cosmonaut training, participants must install a space antenna on a replica of the International Space Station while wearing an authentic space suit and submerged in 54,000 square feet of water.

* Centrifuge G-Force Experience – On the ride of a lifetime, experience the simulated G-forces of blast off, flight in orbit and spacecraft descent on the specially-reserved 300-ton centrifuge.

* Zero Gravity Weightlessness Adventure – Aboard the world’s largest parabola aircraft, experience the absence of gravity. Flying in a steep parabola formation from as high as 20,000 feet, participants literally take flight at least 10 times during this adventure.

* Russia’s Quest Beyond the Earth – Delve into the behind-the-scenes highlights of cosmonaut training and Russian space travel from the 1950’s and beyond.

The Cosmonaut programs include roundtrip air transportation from St. Petersburg to Moscow, overnight hotel accommodations and a full-day Moscow city tour, including Red Square and the Kremlin.

Extreme adventure comes with a price. Cosmonaut Training fares range from $4,359 up to $32,995 for “The Final Challenge.” Seven-, 10- and 11-day Baltic voyages depart from London, Stockholm or Copenhagen –with overnights in St. Petersburg. Promotional two-for-one per person (double occupancy) cruise fares start at $4,375, including $500 or $1,000 ‘All Inclusive – As You Wish’ shipboard credits and free air transportation from numerous North American gateways – Business Class air for Penthouse guests.

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts in Asia has launched a dedicated website for its two resorts in Phuket. OutriggerPhuket.com makes it easy for holidaymakers to exchange information and comments about the two resorts on social media sites as well as get detailed information, browse photo galleries, and book latest offers from the two resorts. To celebrate the launch of the site, two promotions have been launched. Both can be booked on the site.

Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort, which opened in April 2009, is offering a “Discover Your Romance” package starting at THB 6,600 per night for a Serenity Room. Guests who stay a minimum two nights receive a full breakfast in the beachfront restaurant, a 60-minute spa treatment at the resort’s Navasana Well-Being Centre, and roundtrip airport transfers by private limousine. The rate is per night and subject to 18.7% service charge and government taxes. The offer is valid until 31st December 2010. Click here.

Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas, which opened in December 2009 near Bang Tao beach in Phuket, is offering a 229 square meter two-bedroom villa at THB 6,000, a 457 square meter three-bedroom pool villa for THB 9,000, and a 604 square meter four-bedroom pool villa is available from THB 13,000. Rates are subject to 18.7% service charge and government taxes The offer is valid until 31st March 2011.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin opened in Guilin, China this week. The newly opened hotel is also offering guests a luxury cruise experience along the Li River – the only luxury hotel in the city to provide this exclusive waterborne journey. From now until 31 October 2010, guests can book the Suite Cruise package and enjoy two nights in an Executive suite, a 90-minute morning or afternoon guided tour, a gourmet four-course meal cooked on-board by the hotel’s executive chef, daily breakfast for two and full Horizon Club access and privileges.

Sailing from Long Chuan Ping Jetty to Die Cai Mountain, guests can enjoy a classical Chinese guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) performance as the boat journeys across a 10-kilometre natural river gallery, passing 10 of Guilin’s most famous mountains such as Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Seven Star Hill and Laoren Hill. The waterborne trip is the perfect cruise from which to enjoy China’s famed “finest mountains and rivers under heaven.” The sheer rock formations of the Li River, the series of mountains shrouded in mist and old villages that the cruise passes have inspired many poets and painters through the centuries. A stay in an Executive Suite overlooking the Li River and karst mountains completes the journey.

Discreetly located in a quiet part of Taipei’s most fashionable district, Da-An, is Hotel Éclat, an eclectic, elegant new boutique art hotel which is the first new luxury hotel to open in the city for many years.

The French word “Éclat” literally means “glorious accomplishment and honour”, and this aptly describes this stylish, avant-garde new hotel with lavish furnishings, priceless artworks, eclectic contemporary design and among the most opulent guest room amenities of any hotel anywhere.

A member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the 60-room hotel is owned and conceived by sophisticated Hong Kong entrepreneur George Wong, who created and owns the legendary luxury apartment complex Hong Kong Parkview. The hotel features much of his personal art and furniture collection, and even his own personal collections of vintage fine wines and priceless rare Chinese mao tai liquor.

The hotel was designed by Charles Robertson of LRF Designers Limited, whose work includes stylish projects such as the ultra cool Le Meridien Cyberport Hotel in Hong Kong, Starworld Hotel & Casino in Macau and Four Seasons Shanghai.

Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili by Six Senses have long been pioneers in their celebration of Slow Life and Slow Life Cooking. Both Maldivian resorts along with their new sister, Soneva Kiri in Thailand, have organic gardens, world class chefs and take enormous pride in offering the freshest of ingredients, sourced locally and cooked to perfection.

This year Soneva by Six Senses is launching The Slow Life Cooking ‘Thairi’. Starting with renowned chef, Atul Kochhar – the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star – named chefs from some of the most famous restaurants in the world have been invited to the resorts, to cook for guests but also to judge the existing standard of cuisine on offer. At the end of their stay, the chefs will be invited to award a ‘thairi’, the Maldivian word for star, and an independent panel will be notified with the result. A ‘thairi’ may not be forthcoming, there may be more than one, but the ‘thairi’s’ will be awarded following strict guidelines, with a rating system designed by a jury of independent chefs. To ensure complete objectivity and element of surprise, Soneva Repeater guests will also secretly be invited to cast their vote. The results will be announced bi-annually.

Unveiling brand new Maldivian lifestyle experiences that appeal equally to friends, families and couples, Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa launches an exclusive quartet of two-bedroom Pool Villas, culminating in the hottest accommodation choice of the season. Landing in the world’s most famous natural paradise is undoubtedly a dream come true. But consider the wider allures of choosing to travel there with any kind of companion. Escape to Dhigu island in the South Malé Atoll just a 35 minute speedboat journey from Malé International Airport, and this is precisely what awaits, with Anantara Dhigu’s four new two-bedroom Deluxe Pool Villas pioneering the concept of “a Maldivian experience for all”.

Unwind in the ultimate home from home sanctuary in terms of elegant space and luxurious facilities, designed with the diverse leisure preferences of everyone in mind. Spread out in 400 square metres of beachfront luxury and ingeniously crafted features, sharing a truly remarkable Maldivian life while savouring a true sense of space and freedom.  Imagine taking your favourite couple from home to share the experience of a lifetime in this romantic hideaway. Swap your usual get together routines for experiences far more exotic, and create countless memories to talk about upon returning home. Savour privacy with bedrooms separated by an outdoor deck. Lie in gloriously late as the lazy rhythm of island life gently stirs into action. Meet up after breakfast to chat while basking under the dazzling Maldivian sun, with endless lounging provided in a spacious beachfront pavilion. Cool down in a grand ice-green private pool and await a mesmerising sun to sink behind the Indian Ocean’s far off horizon. Then gather together on the al fresco deck for an intimate BBQ that far outshines any dinner party held back home.

Share lazy villa days or choose romantic experiences for two. Indulge in a side by side massage or extended Spa journeys created especially for couples. Glide in seclusion along glittering waters in stylish authenticity, with an unforgettable sunset dolphin cruise on a traditional Maldivian dhoni. Return to the ultimate Dine by Design occasion, with a choice of ambient locations and a table just for two, enhanced by a personal chef and butler service. Retreat to the villa for a late night moonlit swim, mulling over the adventures and making plans for the days to come.

To witness the next solar eclipse, you have to wait until 11th July 2010. But if you’re in the area of Papenburg, Germany, you can see Celebrity Eclipse right now. The third in Celebrity Cruises’ stylish, $3.7-billion Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Eclipse showed off her sleek profile Sunday as she emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Celebrity Eclipse will enter service on 26th April 2010 and, following two “short break” cruises, will offer a series of Canary Islands, Scandinavia/Russia and Spanish Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Southampton, England. The new vessel will present Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Miami beginning in November.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is expanding the range of services it offers business and leisure travellers with the launch of a new destination management company – Hala Abu Dhabi. The new company will be based in the nation’s capital but offer travel products, services and activities throughout all seven Emirates of the UAE.

I’ve stated on this blog previously that some hotel star ratings are a bit of a nonsense, as new 6 and 7 star hotels continued to spring up.  Now one hotel is claiming to offer an “8 Star Gourmet Emotional Experience”.  The following is an extract from a press release from Relais Santa Croce, the latest acquisition of Baglioni Hotels:

To sample some of the best food in the world try our 8 Star Gourmet Emotional Experience – 5 stars belonging to the Relais Santa Croce and 3 Michelin stars belonging to the Enoteca Pinchiorri: an unparalleled opportunity set inside the same Palazzo that houses both the hotel and this renowned restaurant. Charming spaces enriched by frescos and work of art from Florentine history, luxury rooms and, memorable dinners created by one of the world’s greatest chefs, go together to create a very special stay in a magical city.