A Luxury Travel Blog

Rotana has announced the opening of its first property in Ras Al Khaimah – The Cove Rotana Resort -overlooking the Indian Ocean on an idyllic water inlet at Arqoob Beach. This exquisite resort offers authentic Arabian hospitality, an elegant design and more than 600 metres of beach, tranquil azure waters and a multitude of activities. It is within easy reach of both Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah airport, perfect for business travellers and weekend trips to escape the bustle of city life.

The Cove Rotana Resort combines intimacy, comfort and exclusivity with the personalised service and attention to detail that are the hallmarks of Rotana. Indulgent amenities such as a well-appointed leisure and fitness centre and an excellent choice of restaurants, bar and lounge, all come together to create a new and irresistible oasis of relaxation. Accommodating for singles, families or a group of friends, the resort houses 202 rooms and suites and 76 single or multi-room villas that offer breathtaking views. Guests will enjoy the design touches that give every room a distinct sense of Arabian luxury.

The resort is all about fun, relaxation and excellent cuisine with recreational facilities and restaurants for every palate. Facilities include a fully-equipped gymnasium, Jacuzzi, steam and sauna rooms and seven massage rooms. Guests can also enjoy numerous watersport activities in addition to two swimming pools and 600 metres of alluring golden sand.

The hotel offers guests a choice of chic food and beverage outlets. Lively Cinnamon, the all-day dining restaurant, is the place to socialise over a casual meal with a circle of friends. Unwind and take in the calming atmosphere of poolside dining at Laguna Bay pool bar, which faces the villa islands and lagoons, Breeze bar and lobby lounge is an ideal please for an afternoon coffee or cocktail, Sunset pool bar has unrivaled views and large cushions to lounge in the shade, Breakers is located on the pristine beach and skilled chefs are bring a Mediterranean flavour to the upscale and Italian-influenced Basilico.

For the business traveller, The Cove Rotana Resort features three fully-equipped and stylish meeting rooms with the latest audio-visual equipment and IT facilities, making the resort ideal for small to mid-sized meetings of up to 150 delegates. A business centre with secretarial support is also available.

Just as President Barack Obama is renewing the case for investment in technology across the Atlantic, Live Luggage is launching its latest high-tech product to help us get there: the Hybrid PA bag. Their pioneering PA Series suitcase employs a wide range of innovative features that make it feel almost completely weightless to users. And the new Hybrid PA bag offers all the same technology, but in a lighter and more flexible bag, enabling greater range and utility. The bag has been designed as a lightweight, flexible solution for air travellers. Attached to the main bag are separate lap-top and overnight travel cases, which can both be individually unzipped for use as hand-luggage, and can also be fastened to each other. The bag will be launching exclusively at The Gadget Show Live at NEC in Birmingham on 17th April 17th 2009.

Chateau des Vigiers Golf & Country Club has a reputation for excellence and the French resort has never been so accessible with the launch of an exciting new offer for 2009. Golfers are being given the opportunity to enjoy a four-night stay in the luxury resort, which is situated in the Dordogne region in the south-west of France, for as little as 405 euros.

The promotion runs until the end of the year and means anyone booking for three nights at Chateau des Vigiers in one of their ’Classic’ or ‘Tradition’ rooms can get an extra night free.  In addition, guests can enjoy four days’ unlimited golf on any of Chateau des Vigiers’ three nine-hole loop golf courses designed by Donald Steel, three three-course dinners in their exclusive restaurants and full access to the spa facilities.

Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol will bring a new standard in luxury accommodation to Cyprus when it re-opens on 25th April 2009 following a 15 million Euro refurbishment and expansion. Boasting first class leisure facilities, Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol is a contemporary and innovative property, which sits alongside a soft, sandy beach, in 4,000 square metres of immaculate gardens, only a short distance from the many boutiques and restaurants in Limassol town centre. Among the extensive upgrades are renovations to the Presidential Suite, turning it into 82 square metres of super-lavish living space.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is to open a new upscale resort and conference property at the Tunisian holiday destination of Sousse. The Mövenpick Resort & Thalasso Sousse is the Swiss hotel group’s second resort in Tunisia and comprises 627 rooms (39 of which will be suites). This beachside hotel is located in the heart of the city along the lively corniche and is scheduled to open in July 2009.

Sousse is renowned for its astounding Mediterranean coastline with sandy beaches, its picturesque old town and year-round mild climate. This vibrant port city is located some 130 km south of Tunis, and Monastir International Airport is a mere 20 minutes’ drive away. North Africa’s largest international airport is also due to open in Enfidah, 30 minutes from Sousse, in November 2009.

The new resort is situated in a prime location directly on a beautiful sandy beach, in the immediate vicinity of the bustling town centre. A modern shopping mall and a casino are a few minutes’ walk away and it’s only a short drive to the 36-hole golf course. Guests will be able to enjoy culinary treats from six restaurants and five bars. One particular highlight will be the Thalasso Centre with its indoor seawater swimming pool, a modern health and fitness club and a wide selection of treatments offered in over 40 rooms and generous gardens.

For those who want to live the champagne lifestyle but are feeling the economic squeeze, the five star Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa in Marbella is launching a outrageously luxurious package tailored to a Cava budget.

On arrival guests will immediately experience the Champagne lifestyle by finding a chilled bottle of Möet Chandon Rose waiting for them in their room. The challenge will be then where to drink it: either on the balcony people-watching the glitterati of Marbella, overlooking the beautiful azure waters of the Mediterranean or in a deep bath enveloped in Molton Brown bubbles!

Guests will also be given the chance to mingle with the world’s jet set crowd at Nikki Beach Marbella. Renowned as one of the sexiest places on earth, sun worshipers and partygoers can glam it up on the beach and then party away the sultry night at this infamous spot. The package includes a two-day pass with exclusive use of Nikki Beach sun beds and a sumptuous lunch.

Guests can then enjoy complimentary access to the Casino Nueva Andalucía, in Marbella to have a flutter on the roulette table or try their hand at blackjack.

Also included in the package is three nights’ accommodation in a superior double room. Each room features chic Philippe Stark furniture pieces and comes equipped with air conditioning, state-of-the-art digital entertainment systems with a selection of the latest blockbuster movies, a flat screen TV, high speed Wi-Fi access and Molton Brown amenities.

The three-night package costs just €394pp and includes breakfast plus free entrance to the gym and steam room. The two-day entrance to Nikki Beach includes use of sun bed and one lunch up to the value of €50pp (excluding drinks). It is based on two people sharing and is subject to availability. The price is valid from 13th April to 4 October 2009 and excludes flights.

Basking stylishly within the grounds of a beautiful old farm, the ultra contemporary Jiva Hill Park Hotel, near Crozet, France enjoys 35 hectares of its own natural parkland with stunning vistas of both the Jura Mountains and Mont Blanc range. The hotel has taken full advantage of this space, equipping itself with a wide variety of facilities to suit all interests – especially the sporty types!

One of the most incredible features on offer is the EUROLAC water sports centre. This breathtaking 650 metre man-made lake has been created and designed especially for water sports fanatics. Try your hand at wakeboarding, water-skiing (slalom and jumps!), mono-skiing and even barefoot skiing! All equipment can be provided by the hotel, and instructors are on hand at all times.

For those who love to keep fit, not only is there a state-of-the-art fitness suite and large heated swimming pool indoors, the outdoor vicinity offers a 2.5km jogging circuit, a fitness trail, golf practice course, tennis courts and in the winter, skiers can take advantage of the nearby Jura mountains. Bikes are also available to hire and use in and around the grounds for those after more leisurely exercise!

To help encourage guests to keep fit, Jiva Hill Park Hotel is currently offering a two night sports package for just 571€ for two people. It includes two nights accommodation in a Deluxe room on a B&B basis, 1 hour private tennis coaching, 1 hour private golf coaching, and 1 ski pass per person (until 30th March 2009) or bike rental (remainder of the year).

And if just reading this is a little too exhausting – fear not – the choice to laze around at leisure is also available, whether it’s chilling out by the pool, indulging in spa treatments or relaxing in the beautiful sauna and hammam – the choice is yours!

How many times have you wished you could leave the baby food and kid’s snacks behind when packing for your family holiday? Or been disappointed at the ubiquitous unhealthy kid’s menu on offer at your hotel? (I know I have!) At the exclusive family-friendly five star hotels Porto Sani Village & Spa and Sani Asterias Suites within Halkidiki’s Sani Resort on the Kassandra peninsula of mainland Greece, both babies and children can now enjoy new super-healthy, tasty meals every day and parents need not worry about stressful holiday mealtimes ever again!

Sani is investing in well-being cuisine for babies and children, adding healthy menus to its already excellent family friendly touches that make a parent’s life easy. A gourmet selection of fresh homemade purées for babies and toddlers are now available at both Artemis, the à la carte restaurant at Porto Sani Village & Spa, and Water, the fine-dining restaurant at Sani Asterias Suites. Forget the standard issue jars of gloopy purée – tots at Sani dine on the finest freshly mashed vegetables and meats. Think white fish fillet with potato, leeks and fresh peas; poached chicken breast with carrots, pumpkin and fennel; green vegetables with carnaroli rice, organic olive oil and parmesan or prime beef fillet and vegetables. All baby and toddler meals are prepared using the freshest ingredients and Greek olive oil, and have no salt or pepper added.

Older children can order from the well-being for kids menu at Artemis and Water restaurants – children’s favourites are given a healthy twist whilst still appealing to the most fussy eaters! Dishes include homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh vegetables; San Daniele ham and melon pearls; and grilled veal loin with potato puree and garden veggies. All delicious and nourishing!

All Maldivian islands are idyllic, so how do you decide which of the hundreds of resorts to choose from? The recently opened Iru Fushi Beach & Spa Resort offers something truly special for families and couples alike and here are just some reasons why it excels above the rest…

Size matters – many resort islands are rarely large enough to really escape and enjoy a stretch of derelict beach. However, Iru Fushi is unique in that the sprawling 52 acre island is encased by swathes of soft sand and it takes around 30 minutes to walk the whole parameter. So guests can enjoy a piece of paradise without hoards of people to share it with. What’s more, for those who enjoy exercise, approx. 3.5 km jog around the island at sunset with the ocean gently lapping the shoreline and a cool breeze lifting from the lagoon is the perfect way to end a day.

Food, glorious food – when spending a week or two on one island, it is important to pick a resort that supplies a good choice of dining options. If variety is the spice of life, then Iru Fushi offers a gastronomic feast with its five restaurants, each specialising in cuisine from around the globe, and additional intimate dining experiences. Whether for a traditional Maldivian red snapper at the beach fronted Islanders Grill or, for special occasions, a customised á la carte western menu in the over-water wine cellar, there is something to suit every taste bud.

Rest and relaxation – with the economy in crisis, many people are finding their stress levels are invariably increasing and sleep levels are seemingly decreasing which is why some need a little nurture in the art of nodding off and total relaxation. Totally unique to the Maldives, Iru Fushi has devised a Sweet Dreams programme that will ensure guests leave fully rested and revived. The programme incorporates a sleep spa with yoga classes and a sleep diary, relaxing spa treatments, a pillow menu, soothing herbal baths for bed as well as a Sleep-All-Night-Cap.

Seven nights at Iru Fushi Beach & Spa Resort starts from US$ 1,240 per person. Valid from 20 April to 20 July, the price includes return seaplane transfers from Malé airport and accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis staying in a Jacuzzi Beach Villa.

Special offer: get two nights FREE when staying seven nights in either a Water Villa or Jacuzzi Water Villa on a bed and breakfast basis (guests only pay Government bed tax of US$ 8 per person, per night for the two complimentary nights). Valid from 20th April until 31st October 2009, prices start from US$ 429 per room, per night for a Water Villa.

San Diego’s premier luxury hotel, Sè San Diego, which opened its doors in late 2008, is now offering introductory rates starting at $249 a night. The 184 room hotel is a combination of high design, elaborate accommodations and world-class service. Its 23-storey steel and glass tower is filled with hundreds of touch points, which aim to  give guests an extra-sensory experience. More than just beautiful, Sè San Diego intends to cater to the every need of their guests with a high level of service, and exclusive accommodations.

The hotel features the Suite & Tender restaurant and lounge, the Sè  Spa, the Grand Penthouse, a roof-top pool deck and more than 20,000  feet of meeting space. Within each of these accommodations are unique  offerings that aim make the hotel more than just an average luxury  property. In the state-of-the-art Sè Spa, guests have an opportunity  to experience the only Moroccan Rasul on the West Coast. This unique  treatment is an Arabic cleansing ritual exfoliates the skin and draws  out impurities from the body using a combination of spa mud, dry heat,  aromatherapy-infused steam and a rainforest shower.

Sè’s meeting rooms and event space are also far from ordinary.  There is a two-storey grand ballroom, a 32-seat private screening room, a  business centre and multiple, smaller breakout rooms full of natural  light and views of Fifth Avenue. All of the spaces are not only  functional but intricately designed and equipped with the latest  technology.

Sè also offers some unique options for in-room dining. Any guest can opt for traditional room service or Captain’s Service – where the food presented and served in a restaurant format. Luxe suite guests can also choose to have a personal chef, who will create a customized menu  for a romantic dinner and prepare it in-room. To add an educational  component, guests can learn how to create a culinary masterpiece  themselves or participate in a creative group cooking activity.

For the most extravagant guests, Sè features the Grand Penthouse -   the largest and most exclusive penthouse on the West Coast. This 3-storey suite features three bedrooms, a full Italian kitchen, dining  room, entertainment centre, full bar and six flat screen TVs, as well  as an exceptional wine wall complete with wines from around the world.  There are floor-to-ceiling nana doors showcasing 360 degree views  spanning from Mexico to Coronado with breathtaking views of San Diego, its harbour and the Pacific Ocean.

I am planning on a YouTube channel for A Luxury Travel Blog, providing footage of luxury hotels, resorts and destinations worldwide.  If you have videos that you would like to appear under this blog’s YouTube channel, please get in touch. I have a few other things that I need to work on first, but I’m hoping to have everything ready by April 2009. Thanks.

After successfully hosting the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and Asian Games in 2002 and being shortlisted amongst the final three contenders for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, Korea continues to rise as a venue for major international sporting events by hosting its first F1 Grand Prix in 2010. The circuit on which the race will take place is currently under construction and forms part of a major leisure resort being built at Yeongam-am in the province of Jellanam on the south west tip of Korea, approximately 3.5 hours by road from Seoul. In addition to the motor racing circuit, the leisure complex will include hotels, a water park, marina, casino, golf course, theme park, shopping malls, watersports, and numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

The first of three new-build Viceroys – Viceroy Miami - launched last week. An ideal haven for both business and leisure travelers, the 50-story residential-hotel offers enchanting interiors by Kelly Wearstler. A limited-time “Viceroy Miami Debut” promotion offers a third night on a complimentary basis. Viceroy Anguilla and Viceroy Snowmass are two further Viceroys that are due to open later this year as the Kor Hotel Group initiates a strategic expansion for the Viceroy brand.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced the return of its signature Hyatt Regency brand to Hong Kong with the opening of the 567-room Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin. The first international hotel brand to open in the New Territories, the property features spectacular Tolo Harbor views, extraordinary restaurants and meeting space, as well as extensive spa and resort facilities surrounded by the scenery of the Hong Kong countryside. Adjacent to The Chinese University of Hong Kong and conveniently located at University MTR Station, the hotel is a few minutes drive from Hong Kong Science Park and Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Do lazy days lounging by the pool leave you yearning for some fast-paced excitement? Action-loving guests at the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona can hire one of a selection of top of the range Harley-Davidson® motorcycles for some adrenaline-pumping fun – what better way to discover the sunny Costa del Sol and beyond?  The five star Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona provides Harley-Davidson® motorcycle rental on request for one full day or longer – giving our guests the opportunity to command the breathtaking roads in the region. The fleet comprises a selection of models, including the V-Rod®, Road King®, Heritage Softail® Classic, Fat Boy® and Softail® Deuce models.

The hotel concierge can advise on the best routes for bikers – a favourite is to travel the curving, scenic route to Ronda, which is about a 50-minute drive from the hotel, perched on top of a steep hill with amazing panoramic views along the way. Ronda is famous for its bullfights and its romantic past of highway banditry that fascinated Hemingway and Rilke. Visit the oldest bullring in Spain and travel across Ronda’s famous ancient bridge which stretches over a breathtaking canyon. Once you have found a suitably scenic resting place, dismount and enjoy a picnic packed by the hotel’s chefs – expect an Iberian charcuterie board, delicious manchego cheese, home-made breads, and a chilled beer – alcohol free of course!

Motorcycle and helmets are provided – all drivers should be 25 years of age or above, already know how to ride a motorcycle and must have an appropriate licence. The bikes can be booked for one day or more, and for groups of up to 8 individuals – so rally up your friends and take to the roads en-masse! Harley-Davidson hire costs 185 Euros per day, for two people, with a distance limit of 200km. This price includes VAT, third party insurance, two helmets, sidebags for storage and locks.

Before starting Original Travel Tom Barber was a journalist for GQ and then freelance for the Evening Standard, Independent, Tatler and Brides. He went on two or three ‘honeymoons’ a year for Brides, and in 2003 set up OT with two friends – Nick Newbury, who was in corporate finance, and Alastair Poulain, a venture capitalist. They started by offering what they call Big Short Breaks – tailormade long weekends with an adventurous slant for busy professionals, and after a year or so they had so much demand for longer haul destinations that they expanded the team and the portfolio to include pretty much everywhere that they know and love around the world. The addition in 2008 of their Original Kids trips for funky families completes the OT picture.

What is it that you do exactly?

I basically oversee marketing and product development at OT. For a small company we have a pretty large portfolio of trips, so maintaining up to date firsthand knowledge of our destinations is crucial. We try to offer original (funnily enough!) places that might have that element of ‘boastability’ so you can tell your friends you’ve been somewhere you know they won’t have. For the more ‘conventional’ destinations, we’re always looking at how we can improve the experience and offer new regions. I spend my days coordinating this ongoing process.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The creativity, from coming up with new concepts and destinations, to promoting them through our award-winning website or brochures. Also, however cheesy it sounds, it’s also immensely satisfying receiving a gushing feedback email from a client who has got back from an amazing trip.

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

Everyone likes something a bit different, and so the most important task our team of consultants have is judging which places and activities would best suit the client. We have around a 70% repeat and referral rate, so in most cases we have a great understanding of what will work. Things like barefoot luxury and solitude float my boat, and so for two of my favourites I’d probably say Soneva Fushi in the Maldives for the Robinson Crusoe feel, and Private Camp at Wolwedans in Namibia for the remoteness – the camp is two miles away from the rest of the lodge and there’s so little light pollution you can see stars at the horizon. For sheer ‘hotel as destination’ luxury, I recently stayed at the Four Seasons in Budapest which was immaculate. Fantastic location, great rooms and wonderful service. Highly recommended.

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

A few years back I was staying on the island of Anguilla in the Caribbean, which prides itself on fantastic food. There’s a tiny island in the middle of a bay called Scilly Cay, and you have to wave across to the waiters, who come and pick you up in a boat. The walls are all inlaid with conch shells and there’s one thing on the menu – lobster in a curry sauce. You choose you lobster in the kitchen, and 10 minutes later it’s on your plate. Wash it down with a cold Carib beer, and then snorkel around the entire island/restaurant in the afternoon. Very special.

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

Most hotels are pretty good at being discreet about who is staying with them at any time, even though they are presumably desperate to tell the world! I – literally – bumped into Richard Gere while staying at Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands a few years back, and wouldn’t have known he was there otherwise. None more exciting than that, I’m afraid, but we’ve sent everyone from supermodels to royalty away on Original Travel trips.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

One of the very few downsides of this industry is that you are constantly surrounded by people talking about wonderful places, and seeing incredible photography of intriguing destinations. It’s all very tempting. Still top of my wishlist from the Original Travel destinations that I haven’t been to is the Skeleton Coast in Namibia which I missed last time I was there. The trip involves flying in light aircraft into the incredible wilderness along the coast, occasionally landing on the beach to inspect a shipwreck (hence the name Skeleton Coast) and seal colonies, before meeting the fascinating Himba tribespeople. Still trying to work out how I can justify going even though 4 other people from the office have done the trip!

Thank you, Tom. I’m sure you’ll work out a way to find that justification somehow!