A Luxury Travel Blog

…St. Lucia, according to the 2008 World Travel Awards.  The beautiful Caribbean island’s spectacular rainforests, world famous Pitons, sparkling turquoise waters, friendly Caribbean vibe and soft, sandy beaches as well as their world class resorts, makes it a perfect choice for romantic honeymoons.  Honeymooners can’t fail to sink blissfully into married life engulfed in the romantic ambiance of St. Lucia. The extraordinary twin Pitons, the bubbling Sulphur Springs, dramatic scenery and miles upon miles of lush tropical rainforest, set the perfect scene for couples in love.

Where would you say is the place to honeymoon in 2009 going to be?  Click on the comments and let us know!

Located at the top of Tianjin Centre, Raffles Tianjin sits right in the heart of the city, at the junction of Nanjing Road and Guiyang Road – in Heping District, the city’s most important business and retail district. As the city’s first penthouse hotel, Raffles Tianjin will preside over the city, occupying the top 32nd to 45th floors of Tianjin Centre’s West Tower. Scheduled to open in 2009, residents can look forward to 116 spacious, elegantly appointed rooms and suites with commanding views of the city.  It is approximately 2 hours from Beijing.

In a bid to banish the post-Christmas blues, VisitScotland is launching The Scottish Snowdrop Festival in a blaze of white.  Visitors are invited to blow away the cobwebs by visiting 46 gardens across the country, some of which open exclusively for the event. Participating properties range from majestic castles and classic country estates to woodland walks and walled gardens. Running from 1st February to 16th March, the festival is ideal for those with New Year’s resolutions to be more active in 2009.  It is part of VisitScotland’s Winter White campaign which showcases opportunities for visitors to make the most of the season. 46 gardens are participating in the festival including:

Dumfries House, Ayrshire

Newly saved for the nation by Prince Charles, this 18th century Palladian mansion was designed by architect brothers John and Robert Adam. The house is set within 2000 acres of scenic Ayrshire countryside.

Torosay Castle & Gardens, Isle of Mull

Italianate terraced garden with fine statuary, mature trees, varied collection of tender shrubs and many old varieties of spring bulbs offset with panoramic views.

Castle Kennedy & Gardens, Dumfries & Galloway

Enjoy the beautiful woodland and loch-side walks or a car safari amongst the enchanting carpets of snowdrops and early spring flowers. Set amidst one of Scotland’s oldest gardens, including a ruined castle, walled garden and a charming tearoom.

Broughton House Garden, Dumfries & Galloway

The garden of artist EA Hornel, a charming informal and secret garden showing snowdrops at their spring best.

2008 has obviously been a bit much for Kate Moss. She’s said to be heading off to Thailand today for a 7-day detox holiday in Thailand, with her daughter and boyfriend Jamie Hince. According to a source:

The spa she’s booked into is one of the strictest and most stringent in the world. She won’t be cut any slack because of her A-list status. She’s not even allowed to take her mobile phone. She’s in the hotel’s top suite, overlooking the sea.

Does anyone reading this know which resort she’s going to? 

Get ready for the opening of the fabulous Four Seasons Resort Seychelles next month.  Consisting of stilt-raised treehouse villas perched on a hillside, this accommodation looks really special. Not only will you enjoy beautiful sea views, but you’ll also have the luxury of private plunge pools, outdoor showers and your own wooden verandah where you can just relax and enjoy tropical birdsong and the surrounding scents of cinnamon trees and frangipani.

Just a quick note to wish all readers of A Luxury Travel Blog a very merry Christmas.  Put your feet up… pull a cracker or two… and enjoy that Christmas dinner!  Don’t expect too many posts from me today, but do check back over the festive period as there’ll be lots more to come in the run up to 2009.

I’m pleased to be able to announce that we’ve converted our long-established UK hotel site into a UK hotel comparison service.  Currently the site is able to search availability with Active Hotels, LateRooms and Superbreak (with more being added as I type) and return the best price.  Sometimes there is little difference but every now and then it throws back some fantastic savings.  For example, a double room for the nights of 13th, 14th and 15th February (Valentines weekend) at The Goring in Belgravia would set you back £1304 if you booked it through LateRooms but £775.08 if you went via Superbreak – a massive saving of over £500!  To add insult to injury, the LateRooms booking is on a room only basis, and the Superbreak one includes breakfast.

You might think that certain sites are consistently cheaper than others, but this does not appear to be the case.  For example, for the same period and requirements, LateRooms comfortably beats Superbreak for a stay at the five star De Vere Grand Harbour in Southampton (£423 versus £463).

The moral of the story: using a comparison service can save you a small fortune… enough in some cases to allow you to stay an additional night!

I just received a Christmas ecard from Sofitel. This comes on the back of numerous others I seem to have been sent this year.  Many are just HTML emails or emails with attachments, but some are a little more fancy such as this one from Beachcomber Hotels. What’s been your favourite luxury travel ecard this year?

Start planning your winter vacation now and treat your family or someone special to all the charm Hyatt’s resorts have to offer. Enjoy a free night (based upon a minimum length of stay), a 1–category room upgrade and full American breakfast for 2 daily when you book the Three for Free package. Stay between 1st January and 31st March 2009.

Opening its doors this month, The Osprey at Beaver Creek is the closest ski-in/ski-out hotel to a ski lift in North America. This winter enjoy the mountain ambiance and contemporary furnishings at The Osprey at Beaver Creek. Rates start at $336 per night. Pricing is valid for travel January 4, 2009 – February 11, 2009. Rates are subject to restrictions, availability, and blackouts.

While many people have financial concerns about the year ahead, it could just be that it’ll be a great year for those working in the UK tourism industry.  With the pound weaker than ever against the euro, not only is it more prohibitive for UK holidaymakers to travel overseas, but the UK is also particularly attractive to overseas visitors.  Could this be a bumper year for tourism in the UK despite the doom and gloom with the economy?

As a city home to some of the world’s most famous hospitality and landmark hotels, Dubai is known as one of the world’s premier travel destinations; a reputation which has recently been validated after the city was named the World’s Leading Travel Destination and The Monarch Dubai’s Monarch Suite, named the World’s Leading Suite at the World Travel Awards. It is the hotel’s crowning glory and an enigmatic symbol of exclusive Arabian service and luxury. Based on the 32nd and 33rd floor, it offers over 1,130 square metres of state of-the-art technology with an artistic blend of contemporary design and flashes of Arabian décor. 

This regal setting comprises of two Majlis, a dining room, private movie theatre and library, fitness centre, three en suite bedrooms, a fully-equipped kitchenette and a lavish outdoor area with a private terrace, pool, steam room and sauna. Set within elaborate archways is the dining area featuring a stunning satin-draped table and hand-made crystal glassware. A personal butler attends up to 12 guests with a selection of gourmet menus, transforming every meal into a royal banquet.

Grand Arabian doors sweep open to receive guests into the first of two Majlis, which incorporate deep rich colours, and are both furnished with traditionally textured upholstery and offer magnificent views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Overlooking Dubai’s iconic landmarks, the terrace and pool offer guests an all-encompassing outdoor relaxation area, and takes on a sparkling city ambience in the evening that sets the scene for an entertaining night under the Arabian stars. Wow!

LEGOLAND® California’s parent company, Merlin Entertainments, is building on its title of world’s second largest visitor attraction operator with an agreement to build a sixth LEGOLAND park in East Asia. LEGOLAND Malaysia in Iskandar will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. It will be similar to the company’s four other hugely popular and successful LEGOLAND Resorts and will follow LEGOLAND Dubailand was announced earlier this year and is scheduled to open in 2011.

From early next year, the entire portfolio of hotels with Kiwi Collection (2,100 in total) will be available for online booking to visitors of Forbes Traveler.  Speaking of the partnership, Kiwi Collection CEO Erik Haugen has said:

This is a great fit. Forbes Traveler and Kiwi Collection are completely focused on providing luxury travelers with trusted advice. Our sole purpose is to help people achieve their ultimate travel experience and get the best possible room, rate and service during their stay. Not only is it a great match for us but, more importantly, for our customers.

Cumbria is arguably Britain’s number one cycling and mountain biking destination and for good reason. With quiet country lanes and hundreds of miles of off-road trails covering everything from easy rides to severe mountain challenges, there is something to suit all abilities. The Lake District also boasts dramatic natural scenery punctuated with pretty villages, plenty of local attractions, great country pubs and first class hotel accommodation at Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel where cyclists can relax and refuel.  The popular visitor honeypots around Keswick and Windermere offer particularly good cycling options and The Windermere Cycle Hire Centre provides quality bike hire from only £15 per day as well as route advice and maps.

For an easy ride, take a morning boat or steam train from Ambleside to Lakeside at the southern tip of Lake Windermere and pedal back along the shore to enjoy fabulous views of the lake and the surrounding fells. Alternatively, visit the picturesque village of Hawkshead and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top, her original home which is run by the National Trust.

For the more adventurous, explore the Claife Heights area or press on for the village of Crosthwaite and Knipe Tarn – a small mountain lake surrounded by woodland. After a steep climb cyclists are rewarded with panoramic views stretching as far as the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

After a day’s adventure in the saddle, the ultimate venue to rest is at the award-winning Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel. Situated in a prime position overlooking Lake Windermere, cyclists can enjoy luxury accommodation and afternoon tea around a roaring log fire. What’s more, Holbeck Ghyll’s health spa provides the perfect antidote for weary legs and the Michelin Star restaurant is sure to satisfy any appetite! Accommodation prices start from £125 per person, per night on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Kids of all ages can have a splashing time at Aruba’s newest and wettest attraction, Morgan’s Island Water Park, the largest of its kind in the Caribbean. The new $14 million water park opened to the public on 5th December 2008, and features the ‘Dragon Revenge’ tower offering six different heart-stopping waterslides, toboggan rides, two and four person water-tube rides and two wave pools. Coming soon is the ‘Buccaneer Tower’ which will boast an impressive 21-metre vertical drop and will be the second tallest, second fastest, single-person, free-fall waterslide in the world!

Younger children can spend time at the dedicated water-playground featuring smaller slides and water spouts. After the excitement, families can refuel at the Black Pearl, a self-service restaurant, the Jack Sparrow Bar or Treasure Chest coffee shop. Entrance to the water park costs $57 for adults and $47 for children aged 2-12 years.