A Luxury Travel Blog

There can be few things more luxurious than to stay in a suite at The Ritz, with an emphasis on elegance, taste and style, every suite offers the discerning guest the ultimate in luxury, privacy and comfort.  The Ritz has five different types of suite to offer, each with its own distinctive character with the facility to connect further rooms to each suite, this hotel provides a level of flexibility and service that is second to none. Prices start at £420 for two in a Junior Suite. See this PDF file for more information.

The long-anticipated, five-star Outrigger Beach Club Port Douglas will open on 1st October 2006. As part of its opening promotion, the resort is offering exceptional rates to its earliest visitors. Enjoy 4 nights for the price of 3 from AU$418 per person in a luxurious spa suite, or from AU$518 and AU$684 per person in the one- and two-bedroom suites respectively. These discounted rates are valid for stays until 24th December 2006 where available.

Local treats ranging from Yoo-hoo to California Golden Pretzels await guests of Omni Hotels on both coasts of the US, as the brand’s new Sensation Bar expands to the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza and Omni Berkshire Place in New York City, following successful introductions to the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas near Dallas and Omni Chicago Hotel on Michigan Avenue. These fun and unique mini-bars have been designed to reflect the local culture of each hotel property and also boast indulgent products such as Dean & Deluca chocolates and Eucalyptus bath salts.

Another apple festival taking place this weekend is the Arkansas Apple Festival at Lincoln, in the north-west corner of the state. The event offers a great family day out, with a wide variety of arts and crafts accompanied by lots of music and, of course, apples! One of the highlights is the Apple Core Throwing Contest for the children.

Autumn is a great time to get out and about, and to take in a few sights.  And it’s also a great time for apple festivals. If you’re near Albany, NY this weekend, you might like to make your way to the 15th Capital District Apple Festival & Craft Fair at Altamont. As well as music, crafts and cooking demonstrations, there will also be wine tasting.

One of Phuket’s new luxury resorts – Indigo Pearl – can be found at Nai Yang Beach on the island’s northwest shore. Situated next to the Sirinath National Park, it is just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport and offers a choice of rooms, villas, pool pavilions and suites, in a design that has been inspired by Phuket’s tin mining past. Introductory rates starting from $188 are available, representing 30% off standard rates.

This Sunday, I shall be in the north-east, running in the Great North Run – the world’s largest half marathon – which covers 13.1 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to the coast at South Shields. I shall be raising funds for the British Heart Foundation.  If you’d like to sponsor me, please click here. And a big thank you for your support!  Of course, details on where I’ll have stayed will be posted in due course.

If you enjoy golf, sunshine and unadulterated luxury then the Tryall Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica is the place for you to be.  The club are currently offering four free green fees for those booking holidays at the exclusive resort for the end of this year. The club treats its guests to house villas, fully staffed with chef, housekeeper and maids. It also has an excellent selection of entertainment facilities besides the fantastic golf courses.

A former Miss World gives an insight into her country – Peru.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa opens on the Malaysian island of Penang tomorrow, ahead of the originally planned date. The resort is situated on the edge of a rainforest famous for its tranquil beauty, far removed from the stresses of the modern world. The resort includes a state-of-the-art health club, executive golf course, spa pool and 7 innovative restaurants and bars.

On the same day that Golden Tulip Hospitality unveiled its plans for its new Royal Tulip brand, work began on Amsterdam Symphony, the name given to a development project that consists of two residential towers, an office building and a hotel in the financial business district of Amsterdam Zuidas. The hotel will be named the Royal Tulip Amsterdam Symphony and have 210 guest rooms, aimed primarily at business travellers. It is expected to open its doors in the Spring of 2009.

A jam-maker in Manchester, England, has celebrated its 125th anniversary with a marmalade that will set you back £5,000 a jar. F. Duerr & Sons Ltd. has combined the finest Seville fruit with vintage Dalmore 62 whisky from Whyte & Mackay, valued at £32,000 per bottle, Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996 vintage Champagne and flakes of 24-carat gold leaf to produce the special marmalade. It is being sold in custom-made crystal jars valued at £1,100.

Maxim’s Group has just opened its flagship restaurant, Lawry’s The Prime Rib. This latest American fine dining restaurant, situated at Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, is the 8th Lawry’s restaurant in the world and the 4th in Asia. It specialises in classic beef dishes, with the focus on roasted prime ribs, such as the 10oz Lawry Cut (HK $380), and can seat up to 240 diners.

Luxury travel sometimes has its limitations for those wishing to be environmentally conscious. aloft, however, has announced a “see green” program with this issue in mind. The scheme promotes ecologically friendly products and services, and highlights green-friendly options both inside and outside the hotels. The parking area outside is adorned with a variety of deciduous trees and shrubbery. A ‘backyard’ helps to reduce noise pollution and provides guests with an opportunity to stop and take a breath of fresh air. There will also be a special area of parking reserved specifically for hybrid cars, raising awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles. Furthermore, aloft is in discussions with a number of car companies to provide a hybrid aloft “house car” at each location, available to interested guests. Eco-friendly cleaning agents and reusable cleaning cloths instead of paper towels are available to those wishing to clean their cars, and each aloft hotel has its own laundry facilities where Seventh Generation eco-friendly detergent has been established as the brand standard. The first aloft hotel from Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open in early 2008, with 500 properties worldwide expected by 2012.

In February of this year, La Couronne Hotel and Restaurant in Franschhoek was sadly severely damaged by fire.  But now it’s back… rebranded as the Mont Rochelle and Mountain Vineyards, it will open on 1st October 2006. A special opening package is available to South African residents: R2500.00 per room per night for double occupancy, available from 1st October 2006 to 15th December 2006.

A new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Arizona’s Paradise Valley is expected in early 2008. Nestled at the foot of Camelback Mountain, this $250 million development will be InterContinental’s first property in Scottsdale. It will have 292 rooms and suites, a signature restaurant, wedding chapel, boutiques, an espresso bar and a 30,000-square-foot spa created by Sylvia Sepielli.