A Luxury Travel Blog

The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival is held at Lake Skinner every year on the first weekend of June. There is an admission fee to the festival which includes the entertainment.

The inaugural Asia Luxury Travel Market is fast approaching. ALTM will take place at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre in Shanghai, China, from 18th to 21st June 2007, and will provide luxury suppliers the opportunity to meet the finest trade buyers from the Asia Pacific region.

Here’s a great little accessory for those who love gadgets and love travel.  The Home Theatre Watch - available from GadgetUniverse - retails at a seemingly reasonable $149.95.  With a capcity of 2GB, this watch supports MP1, MP2, or MP3 and WMA audio files and comes with software that can convert with software that will convert ASF, AVI, MPEG, WMV, DAT/VCD, and ASX files into a viewable format.

Milan can get rather hectic: there’s the shopping, the sightseeing, and of course more shopping. An accumulation that can leave you feeling depleted.  The perfect pick-me-up? Afternoon Tea with the Principe, a chance to unwind with one of the hotel’s dizzying arrays of flavourful brews ranging from classics to more puncy options like the vitamin packed Sport Cup infusion. Add a scrummy crème brûlée and you’ll be raring and ready for one last pop at the shops.

The Town House Company’s new Glasgow Hotel has now officially been named ‘Blythswood Square’. The hotel is due to open in March 2008. When complete, the Georgian building will have 88 luxury bedrooms and will incorporate many aspects of the original building.  It will also house a state-of-the art spa and extensive conference facilities.

A new luxury eco-boutique hotel is opening on Benguerra Island, Mozambique.  Called Azura, it consists of 14 beautiful villas adorned with traditional Mozambique artwork and blends modern chic with a wonderful beachfront location. Watch the dhows pass by, swim with dolphins or simply stroll along the miles of pristine beach. Azura opens in July 2007.

Made with a full-grain cowhide that’s more rugged and sturdy than other common luggage, this carpenter-style bag has a frame wide enough to stay open on its own for easy packing or unpacking, and is large enough for a weekend trip or for use as a convenient carry-on bag. Its microfibre lining is easily spot cleaned and includes interior pockets for pens, credit cards, and a cell phone, while two large outer pockets with zips hold additional items. Shop around online (just search for ‘Wide-Mouth Leather Weekend Bag’) and you’ll find prices of under $200.

Scottsdale is home to world-class resorts, golf courses, spas, restaurants and meeting spaces. Celebrities love Scottsdale… see why!

The Steigenberger Hotel Group will open a four-star superior hotel in the Palais district in the heart of Vienna in late 2008/early 2009. Located in the Old Town district, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof will combine both tradition and modernity, and serve both business travellers and city tourists. It will have 186 rooms, each with an average size of 31 square metres, as well as ten suites - which look out over the rooftops of Vienna’s Old Town - measuring between 60 and 85 square metres.

Suite name: The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Villas & Spa
Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa
Size of accommodation: 4,850 sq ft
Cost per night: BD 1800 (USD 4,690)
What makes it special? The Villa offers a redefined tranquility and privacy by the Azure waters of the Arabian Gulf.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Villas & Spa exude relaxed elegance throughout. Low lying, surrounded by azure waters, each has a distinctive identity and allure. Designed for heads of state, royalties and celebrities, the villas help you escape the ordinary world and enter a world where idyllic stretches of sand slope gently into warm waters of magnificent turquoise blue.

Furnished with some of the world’s most stylish accommodation, the villas introduce a Caribbean-style exterior and an infusion of contemporary and Asian touches within the interior design. The 3-bedroom hideaways are housed within 23 villas and their warm, refined atmosphere is characterized by the simplicity of their earth-tone rooms.

Each villa measuring up to 450 square meters is at least 20 meters from the next, so guests have a measure of privacy. Guests of the villa enjoy the services of a Private Lifestyle Butler who provides a sophisticated blend of knowledge pertaining to the destination and the resort facilities. It is impossible not to relax with such attention and in such a tranquil haven where you are never far from a breathtaking view over the Arabian Gulf.

Tanya Schliff is founder of DirectoryofHotels.com, a unique hotel guide focusing on global travel.  She started the site because she found that, when researching her own travels, there were very few resources that gave her direct access to the hotel for questions and reservations. She favours independent travel rather than using booking agents or travel agents and believes that travellers benefit greatly from having direct contact with the hotel they have chosen.

What is it that you do exactly?

As Founder and Editor, I write reviews and report on “all things” travel for our blog, TravelerWIRE and our monthly newsletter, answer questions from our readers and am constantly researching new and exciting places of interest.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I am not going to lie, traveling is a blast and I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I do. In addition, I get great pleasure from having the creative freedom to write about, promote and support the hotelier, especially bringing light to the small to medium properties.

What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?

It is very difficult to pick just three, as every travel affair will always have a place close to my heart.

Four Seasons Bali at Sayan and Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Indonesia - I had the pleasure of staying at both properties in Bali, they are each different experiences and not to be missed. Jimbaran Bay brings traditional old world charm, cool breezes, sprawling grounds, rocky peninsula and gorgeous views of the vast blue sea.  The villas are over 2000 square feet, comprised of three thatched roofs including an outdoor living area, the abode with a king-sized canopy mosquito-net bed, sandstone floors, indoor/outdoor shower and each with a private plunge pool. Sayan is situated close to Ubud, an artist´s colony in hills, and is structured with modern lines.  The entryway is stunning, and infinity edged lotus pond overlooks the Ayung river and surrounding rice fields. Again the villas, are striking with a modern Balinese twist, outdoor dining area, deep soaking tubs, separate dressing areas, private outdoor plunge pools.  No stone left unturned.

Maroma Resort & Spa, Mayan Riviera, Mexico  - a secluded oceanfront resort and spa where everyone calls you by name.  One sip of there house margarita, scented with anise, and you won’t want to leave. My favorite experience was the Temazcal where I endured an extraordinary ancient Mayan rebirthing ceremony (reminiscent of a North American Indian sweat lodge) where super heated lava rocks doused with herb-infused water create an intoxicating and healing experience.

Il Pelicano, Porto Ercole, Italy - a stylish and exclusive retreat with an outstanding restaurant and wine cellar and an equally profound and intimate bar. Surrounded by centuries old olive trees and situated above the Mediterranean Sea with a path that leads down to a heated seawater pool and beyond a sunbathing rock platform by the sea.  The property was awarded the “Purple Lily” by Relais & Chateaux and exudes old Hollywood glamour filled with romantic history.

What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?

I have had the pleasure of dining at some wonderful places, but this little restaurant in the medieval village of Capalbio, Le Mura, was something special. Delivering a surreal and intimate dining experience, Le Mura’s hosts, a husband and wife team, where Roberta cooks and Gerry guides you through local history in their cozy home, formerly the castle bakery.  There is no menu at Le Mura, only four tables each night and everything is fresh and made to order. Even as the only guests that night, our experience lasted no less than 5 hours. If you are lucky, like I was, Roberta took me into the kitchen where I threw on a chef’s cap and she taught me her recipes for the evening. All local delights and masterful creations like wild boar, rabbit and freshly made pasta. Magical! Guests have included the likes of Mario Batali.

Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?

Living so close to Los Angeles, where my husband is a native, it is not difficult to bump into celebs from Madonna at L’Orangerie, Paris Hilton at Peninsula Beverly Hills to Gwyneth Paltrow at Esperanza Resort.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

I have always dreamed of hunting the winter white truffle in Piemonte, Italy.

Thanks, Tanya. Le Mura sounds like a fascinating little find… how did you get to hear about it?

Ideally located in the heart of Lisbon and just a short drive from the Estoril Coast, the luxurious Pestana Palace seamlessly blends the natural beauty of its surroundings with the excitement and culture of Lisbon. With magnificent views of a private subtropical park, as well as the Tagus River, this is a great place for the avid golfer with a plentiful choice of courses to play on: Quinta da Beloura, Lisbon Sport Club, Belas, Aroeira, Riba Golf, Quinta do Peru, Troia and Santo Estevao, and more.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Feel the difference at Vila Bicuda, Portugal
• Rainforest walks Aussie style with On The Wallaby
• Luxury shopping like nowhere else: Shop West End
• Eat at Lisbon’s trendy Terreiro do Paco

Luxury Belize villas for sale in an exclusive private residence resort on Ambergris Caye, known as Sueño Del Mar.

Win a trip for two to watch undefeated IBO Light Welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in the IBO Light Welterweight Title fight in Las Vegas on 23rd June 2007, courtesy of MAXjet! Travel to Las Vegas in style with MAXjet’s All Business Class Service and stay at the Fabulous Caesar’s Palace-Las Vegas to see Manchester’s favourite fighter!  To be in with a chance, you simply submit your email address here and wait for the draw on 4th June 2007.