A Luxury Travel Blog

Sunny days have returned, welcoming the anticipation of Spring, starry-nights, scintillating escapes and another swimsuit season. As one of the premier destination wellness spas in the Southwest USA, Red Mountain Spa boasts unparalleled adventure activities and a wide range of beauty health spa treatments at Sagestone spa and salon; all offerings are highlighted by inspiring views of the red canyons. Whether you’re looking to slim it down or spa it up, Red Mountain Spa resort guarantees guests will look and feel their best with spring and summer packages that sizzle with value.

All 14 Mövenpick Hotels in Germany are to implement a no-smoking policy with effect from 1 April 2007. This measure has been taken at the request of many customers and following successful trials at selected hotels. The experience at the newly opened Mövenpick Hotel Frankfurt City for instance has been most favourable. The no-smoking policy is also being introduced to protect guests and employees who are non-smokers from the health risks of passive smoking.

Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Indian Wells CA presents a talented team of select chefs offering a portfolio of dining choices to please your every whim.

The Greenbrier at White Sulphur Springs, WV has had a $50 million makeover to put it well and truly back on the map. The National Historic Landmark has been closed since 3rd January 2007 to enable renovations to be made to 63 guest rooms (plus all 721 rooms will have new ultra-luxury beds and linens and flat-panel TVs), as well as to dining and nightlife venues. Global cuisine from Chef Michael Voltaggio will be available through the new Hemisphere restaurant, and a new entertainment venue called 38°80 (formerly The Tavern) is to debut.

There are some new additions to Crystal Cruises‘ 2007 European Crystal Adventures Hotel Program. Four new hotels – Venice’s venerable Hotel Cipriani and Hotel Danieli, Istanbul’s Ritz-Carlton and Athens’ Hotel Grande Bretagne – join an expanded collection of Europe’s most prestigious properties (15 in all) offering savvy travelers luxurious options to extend their Crystal vacations with a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay. Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity offer 29 European itineraries from April through November. In several of the cruise departure and arrival cities, guests may choose from more than one hotel including:

• Venice, Italy: Hotel Cipriani (new); Hotel Danieli (new); Hotel Bauer; Il Palazzo at the Hotel Bauer
• Monte Carlo, Monaco: Hotel Hermitage
• Rome, Italy: Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principi; St. Regis Grand
• Lisbon, Portugal: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
• Istanbul, Turkey: The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul (new)
• Stockholm, Sweden: The Grand Hotel
• London, England: Renaissance Chancery Court London; The Berkeley Hotel
• Copenhagen, Denmark: Copenhagen Marriott
• Athens, Greece: Hotel Grande Bretagne (new); Athenaeum InterContinental Hotel

The Crystal Adventures Hotel Program is offered on each cruise in all nine departure and arrival cities, which include Athens, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Monte Carlo, Rome, Stockholm and Venice. For the two Crystal Serenity cruises that end or begin in Toulon, France, guests may extend their travels to Monte Carlo or Venice.

Special “Pooh Walks” to learn how to identify droppings and spoor, fishing and frogging safaris, bark-rubbing expeditions and baking cookies with the chefs for afternoon tea are just a taste of what’s in store for children at CC Africa’s family-friendly safari lodges… ensuring an unforgettable safari experience for the entire family! Click here for a list of CC Africa’s family-friendly lodges that specialise in children’s programmes and have childminding facilities available.

Preferred Boutique, an exclusive portfolio of more than 80 member properties, is inviting travellers to live on the wild side with its new “Run from Reality” adventure travel package. The package highlights seven properties from Preferred Boutique’s adventure category – Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, The Pines Lodge, Snake River Lodge & Spa, Elk Mountain Lodge, The Lodge at Vail, Sundance Resort, and Beaver Creek Lodge. Available between 1st April  and 31st August 2007, the package includes a minimum of two nights luxury accommodation, a high performance packed lunch, complimentary use of fitness facilities, and a customized, property specific adventure activity such as tandem paragliding, whitewater rafting, or a private horseback riding excursion.

Enjoy the fabulous floral and garden displays at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, just a short walk from The Draycott. The offer includes an overnight stay in a spacious suite, a pair of all-day tickets to the show, a signed book by Alan Titchmarsh and a full English breakfast. Package is £455 per suite per night, valid from 22nd to 27th May 2007.

Fern Tree Spa at Jamaica’s Half Moon resort is due to open next month following a $4 million investment.   The spa was once the resort’s signature villa, Fern Tree House, but is being transformed into a 68,000 square foot sanctuary for the mind and body. The spa will meld modern spa techniques with Jamaica’s ancient healing remedies of native herbs, fruits and botanicals.

Two different-but-similar advertisements based around a common theme: airport security. Enjoy!

Found this press release over at sourcewire.com

Leading international property specialist PURE International today announced the exclusive distribution of Worldwide Private Residences investment fund. One of the most flexible investments in the overseas property market, with a one off payment starting at £150,000* Worldwide Private Residences offers the opportunity to own and enjoy a portfolio of luxury properties, each valued at circa £1.35 million, with no management obligations or further fees to pay for the 10 year lifetime of the investment.

I’m always very sceptical of these kinds of schemes.  It seems a strange way to go about planning your next 10 years of holidays. What do you make of it?  Interestingly the asterisk is never referenced again on the page… I wonder what that actually means.

There’s an interesting read in today’s Scotsman outlining the current successes that the Scottish tourist industry is currently enjoying. Apparently, hotel rooms in Scotland are among the most expensive in Europe. Edinburgh and Aberdeen rank 3rd and 4th within the UK, with average room rates of £95 and £93 per night respectively.  For those who really like to lap it up, it’s £500 a night during the Edinburgh Festival to stay at the city’s Scotsman Hotel, or up to £2,000 for a penthouse suite. Glasgow’s One Devonshire Gardens, meanwhile, has a duplex suite with its own private garden which goes for around £1,000 a night. Curiously, Gleneagles and other hotels don’t get a mention.  Perhaps what’s most interesting, though, is the comments that follow the article where there’s a lot of grumbling that the Scottish hospitality is poor and over-priced.  Draw your own conclusions!

Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland reportedly had a major bust-up with his wife at the weekend whilst staying at the Graciela Hotel on Pass Avenue, Burbank, CA. The hotel is allegedly pressing charges for the damages to their suite. Mary Weiland was arrested later that day after setting fire to the rocker’s clothes outside their Toluca Lake home. Hardly a great example to set to their children, aged just 6 and 4.

Ritz-Carlton is launching a new brand, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, to cater for those who prefer more unusual destinations. The first such resort within the brand will be Molasses Reef in the Turks & Caicos Islands, scheduled to open in 2008 with 125 suites, 60 villas starting from $2.6 million, two restaurants and a spa. Over 50% of Phase I has been sold and just 13 villas currently remain.

A new perspective on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Guests of various Omni Hotels will be given a closer view of the distinct products, culture and flavour of their destination. Throughout this month and next, items such as Orange Blossom Pilsner, mystical Voodoo love dolls and Indy 500 model cars will add a local touch to the latest expansion of Omni Hotels’ Sensation Bars across the United States. These unique bars were launched in 2006 as an alternative to minibars, providing fun, entertaining and indulgent sensations for each of the five senses. The following Omni Hotels will begin offering Sensation Bars with these distinct local tastes:

• Omni Jacksonville Hotel:  Orange Blossom Pilsner
• Omni Interlocken Resort (between Denver and Boulder):  Boulder Potato Chips
• Omni Houston Hotel Westside:  Lammes Texas Pecan Praline Chewies
• Omni Majestic Hotel (St. Louis):  Oversized Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate branded candy bars 

And the following hotels and cities boast great pride in their beloved traditions by offering guests the opportunity to take home a touch of the local spirit:

• Omni Severin Hotel (Indianapolis):  Indy 500 model car
• Omni Royal Crescent Hotel (New Orleans):  Voodoo love dolls
• Omni San Diego Hotel: San Diego Padres souvenir
• Omni Charlottesville Hotel: University of Virginia Cavaliers memento
• Omni Austin Hotel Downtown and Omni Austin Hotel Southpark:  A burnt orange souvenir representing The University of Texas Longhorns