A Luxury Travel Blog

Oakwood celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with an array of exciting celebration campaigns centered on the theme of trust. One of these golden anniversary campaigns include the “50 Nights in 50 Months” contest, where visitors to the specially designed Oakwood Asia Pacific microsite can stand a chance to win 50 nights to be used in Oakwood properties across Asia, over 50 months. All that needs to be done on this microsite is to send an e-postcard to friends, describing the meaning of trust. Each additional e-postcard sent earns an additional chance to win the grand prize. The winner will live the luxe life at Oakwood’s luxurious serviced apartment brands, including the premium Oakwood Premier, designed to cater to the finest of tastes – Oakwood Premier Prestige Bangalore features a functional helipad and AZOK, the popular modern Indian roof-top restaurant by Vineet Bhatia, the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, is housed in Oakwood Premier Mumbai.

The Anna Maria Historic Green Village, is a new development soon to get underway on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria Island, created by the owners of the luxury vacation rental company Pineapplefish, Mike and Lizzie Thrasher. The Village will consist of 8000 square feet of retail space, including café and beautiful gardens, for Islanders and visitors to enjoy. One of the most notable elements of this project, is the extensive, ‘green’ initiatives that are being incorporated. The whole Village will be run using renewable energy sources, including ground-source heat pumps, photovoltaic electricity generation via solar panels, and solar hot water. The project will also see the recycling of some of the old buildings from the Island to incorporate into the build, bringing new and old together. One of these buildings is a 1935 Sears Catalog Cottage, that was donated to Mike and Lizzie and was moved last week, very slowly by truck, from its current site on the Island, to its new spot on the development! The majority of the Anna Maria Historic Green Village will be open to the public by the Anna Maria Pier Centennial in Spring 2011.

Following a very successful property development in the UK, for their own home and with a keen eye for interior design and their love of everything old-Florida, British couple Mike and Lizzie Thrasher took all of their ideas and leanings to the USA. Here, they have turned some of the most wonderful buildings on Anna Maria Island into the most luxurious and elegant beach-chic vacation homes in Florida. Anna Maria is a hidden gem on the west coast of Florida, undiscovered, and seeped in old-Floridian history and charm. Mike, a British Designer and Lizzie, a Green Entrepreneur, fell in love with Anna Maria while visiting on holiday in 2003, and have since purchased and renovated some of the islands most spectacular properties, now available as vacation rentals.

Under the Pineapplefish name, each home; Limefish, Lemonfish, Honeyfish, Chilifish, Cherryfish, Plumfish and Berryfish has its own unique personality, indicative of the islands culture, which is gleaned from the variety of homes. On Anna Maria Island, no two homes is the same, offering many various styles, which provided Mike and Lizzie with a rich source of inspiration. And having chosen properties which already provided a good canvass to work on, some with great location character, others the ‘bones’ on which to work, they have captured a luxurious key west style that reflects the Floridian desire for outdoor living.

Mike and Lizzie’s passion and exceptional interior design skills has bought together a wonderful, eclectic mix of styles and designs, with luxurious furniture and soft furnishings gathered from local shops and flea markets and paintings and crafts bought in from the islands network of talented artists . Not only have they bought their unique, personal touch to Anna Maria, they have developed properties with integrity and the utmost respect for the heritage and laid back attitude.

We have a special booking code for readers of A Luxury Travel Blog who’d like to stay at the fabulous Elounda Solfez Villas on the island of Crete (see special feature here). Valid until 31st October 2010, the code gives you a massive 30% discount on their usual rates for their 3-bedroom villas – and you’ll also get a fridge full of mouth-watering Cretan delights on arrival, including fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, meat, cheese, wine and honey; plus special rates for car rentals. Visit the site and, where you run the availability check, enter the code ALTB30 in the booking code box. You’ll then be transferred to their booking engine page where you can claim A Luxury Travel Blog’s special rate.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Exclusive excellence from Royal Villas Europe
• Just over 1hr from Geneva Airport: Chalet Chocolat
• Luxury and iconic wines from Penfolds
• South America’s first luxury camp: Patagonia Camp

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Craving for Travel: Celebrating Life’s Moments
• Check out the luxury spas portfolio from Johansens
• Rollable travel shoes (!) from Spare Pear
• Boutique chic from Villa Elena, Sicily

The wonderful Elounda Solfez Villas on the island of Crete – which I visited in person and ran a special feature on earlier in the year – is running a Minoan Trail competition.  Solve the riddle on their website and you could be on your way to winning a fabulous 7-night stay in one of their three-bedroom villas. The closing date for entries has been extended until 17th May 2010.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Virgin Holidays and Hip Hotels: vhiphotels.co.uk
• Swedish gourmet traditions from Grythyttan
• An idyllic farmhouse in North Cornwall
• Paradise in Goa from The Leela Kempinski Goa

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Enriching lives through distinctive journeys: Big Five
• Luxury in the Lake District from Kendal Cottages
• Untamed wilderness from the Botswana Tourist Board
• See the exclusive La Posada Villas with pools

A new boutique holiday cottage has just opened in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. With Molton Brown cosmetics, beautiful decor and the option of a private chef, Moorland View offers “wall-to-wall luxury.” It’s made for lovebirds: romantic touches include a log fire, scented candles and a vintage copper bath for two. Complimentary membership of Bovey Castle country club, with its pool, gym, golf course and spa, is included. The cottage is in the peaceful 13th century thatched village of North Bovey, one of England’s prettiest old villages, which has a fantastic pub, medieval church and beautiful local walks. To really be swept off your feet, you can book a hot air balloon ride from the garden (well, a field very close by). The two Michelin-starred restaurant Gidleigh Park is close by, and the beaches of the South Hams aren’t far.

As regular readers will know, the last couple of months have been a particularly busy period for me as my wife and I have set up a new company, bought a luxury riverside apartment and kitted it out for holiday lets, all with a view to opening this coming Easter. The hard work has finally come to an end (or perhaps it has only really just begun!?) as our Kendal Cottages enterprise will welcome its first guests tomorrow.  Please have a look at the site and let us know what you think of the offering – it has a great balcony view down the River Kent and towards Kendal Castle.

As some of you will already be aware, the blog has had to take a bit of a backseat this last couple of months as I’ve been working on embarking on a new venture – Kendal Cottages – offering luxury vacation rental accommodation in the UK.  This week was a significant one  as we exchanged contracts on our first property, meaning that I can now describe what we are doing in a little more detail.

We have purchased a luxury riverside apartment on the edge of the Lake District and accessible also to the Yorkshire Dales (both National Parks).  It is in the town of Kendal, meaning that you get all the amenities of a small market town (restaurants, bars, shops, etc.) but that you also have beautiful scenery – some of the UK’s finest – within easy reach.

As you can imagine, it’s been a busy time for us.  Not only have we been dealing with finance, solicitors, etc. but we’ve also had to think ahead with regards to equipping the property.  This week we bought outdoor furniture as the apartment as a decked balcony overlooking the River Kent and out towards Kendal Castle, now in ruins but once home to Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr.  We’ve also purchased two sofas from Laura Ashley for the living area, a solid oak dining table and hope to order more furniture before the week is out.  Thankfully the kitchen already comes equipped with brand new oven, hob, fridge, freezer and microwave, all built in, so we don’t have to source these items.  The next job will be beds and then curtains, I think.  We need to get the property looking complete, even if we still need to buy miscellaneous items such as cutlery, etc. in order that we can take photographs for the website that I’m also working on.  As you can see, it’s busy times but we’ll try not to let A Luxury Travel Blog fall by the wayside too much!

Last October we were honoured to be the first guests ever to stay at the newly opened Elounda Solfez Villas. Situated high upon a hillside overlooking Elounda, this small group of properties raises the bar on self-catering accommodation to an entirely new level and comes with a stunning view over the whole of the Bay of Elounda.

As the name implies with self-catering accommodation, you normally cater for yourself, but that needn’t be so at these villas.   Firstly, you can choose a Cretan delights package which means that you can arrive to a well-stocked fridge and freezer, fresh fruit and vegetables, Greek wine, etc. – ample provisions for most of your stay.

You can also request all manner of services not normally associated with self-catering, whether it be a regular pool attendant who’ll ensure your villa’s private pool is free of leaves and any other debris, a daily maid service or whether you would simply like your own private chef to come and serve you breakfast or dinner.

We stayed in Villa Re which sleeps six; the entrance door took us into an open plan lounge and kitchen on the middle floor. The lounge was equipped with a large flat-screen TV, DVD player and music system, and led out to an outdoor terrace where you could dine whilst basking in the sunshine and taking in the fabulous view.

Up a floor was the en suite master bedroom with a large window at the foot of the bed, dramatically overlooking the Bay of Elounda, and a small balcony that you could sit out on. Down a floor from the lounge there were two further bedrooms – a double and a twin – each sharing a bathroom with bath and shower, plus a washer/dryer and security box.

From this lower level, you could get direct access to your own private infinity pool, sunbeds, a small garden area and a dedicated barbecue corner with accompanying dining table and chairs.  Nothing had been overlooked here – if you so wished, you could spend the whole time in your villa, revelling in the views and relaxing in the peacefulness of the location.

There is however plenty to see and do in the area. A hire car is recommended since the villas are situated on the outskirts of Elounda, but you do have a fabulous Six Senses spa within walking distance, courtesy of the previously reviewed Porto Elounda de Luxe Resort which can be used by guests staying at the Elounda Solfez Villas. Having such great facilities on the doorstep rather sums the place up – I don’t think I’ve ever encountered self-catering accommodation where so many fantastic services are available should guests wish to use them – services that are normally only associated with top hotels and resorts.

Many of you will have noticed that posts on A Luxury Travel Blog have been rather thin on the ground this last month.  This is because I’ve been rather busy behind the scenes with something altogether different, but at the same time related.  We are in the process of buying a luxury self-catering property (that’s a vacation rental if you’re on the other side of the pond to us) in Kendal, Cumbria – the town where we live.  I can’t say too much more at this stage because we have yet to exchange contacts but, all being well, that will be happening in around 2 weeks.  Kendal is a beautiful market town ideally positioned between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and the property has a fabulous view of Kendal Castle which was once home to Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife and the only one to outlive him.  I’ll post more later but, for the time being, a temporary website exists at Kendal Cottages with links to Facebook and Twitter.

Last summer we enjoyed a very relaxing week at the five star Gwel an Mor resort on the outskirts of Portreath in mid Cornwall. After a pleasant welcome, we settled into lodge number 40, also known as ‘Tehidy’.  All the lodges are named after the local area and Tehidy Country Park is a 250-acre estate not far away.

Despite there being just the four of us, our lodge could easily sleep six people and so presented us with more than ample space.  We enjoyed a sea view and comfortable accommodation that consisted of three bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs and an open plan kitchen, dining area and living room upstairs.

The lodges also have outdoor decking and balconies and some have hot tubs too.  Perched high above Portreath, the resort is well positioned for a variety of things to do whether it be spending time on the beaches, coastal walks, or visiting local attractions.  The Eden Project – home to the world’s largest greenhouse – is about an hour away.

And if you prefer not to venture too far away, facilities at the resort are good. There is the Terrace Restaurant & Bar (open to both residents and locals alike), serving far better fayre than your average pub but without being so stuffy that you would feel uncomfortable with children. Gwel an Mor is, afterall, a family friendly resort.

Also on site is a spa with views over the Atlantic, a gym and an indoor swimming pool.  All useful facilities but for us one of the big bonuses – and a unique selling point for Gwel an Mor – was the resort’s own resident wildlife expert, Gary Zammit.  We went rockpooling with him and it proved to be a great experience for the children.

Impressed, we headed straight for the site office to see what else was available. Although Gary looked to be ‘booked up’ for the remainder of the week, we made enquiries and he kindly squeezed in an additional wildlife tour for the four of us the following day.  If you stay and are faced with the same predicament, do make enquiries and they will try to accommodate you.

Gary is a very interesting person.  Not only has he taught an orphaned heron to fly but he also cares for a host of other animals. His wildlife experience was well-pitched so that it was both interesting to adults and engaging for youngsters. Our two boys – aged just 5 and 3 – enjoyed some wonderful opportunities: they hand-fed one of the foxes, flew Sly the Barn Owl, handled a grass snake and much more.

We really enjoyed our stay at Gwel an Mor and would recommend it for a great family holiday. Plans could be afoot to add more lodges to the resort. If this is to go ahead, hopefully it can be achieved without adversely affecting Gwel an Mor’s charm.

Searching for the ultimate winter wonderland break? Then look no further than the enchanting Scottish Highlands. Alladale Wilderness Reserve covers 23,000 acres of the highlands and this Summer saw the opening of two new, chic highland bothies to compliment the main stalking lodge on the reserve. Ideal for couples and smaller groups of friends and family, Eagles Crag and Ghillies Rest sleep between 2-4 people and add a touch of luxury to this remote wilderness. Every aspect of a true Highland break has been thought of and catered for. Guests can expect a fully stocked kitchen and fridge brimming with locally sourced, organic ingredients to cook up a feast with, or the option of a hearty, home cooked dinner delivered from the main lodge for guests to simply pop in the oven. Days can be spent embracing the highland air with a personal ranger who is on hand to take guided hikes up the glens, pony treks across the reserve, fly fishing lessons, stalking on the hills and 4×4 safaris in search of the elusive European Elk and Wild Boar. All in the knowing that when guests return to their bothy a fire will be burning bright and freshly made tea and cakes will be awaiting their return.

Co-ordinated by an ex designer for Mulberry, the bothies have been designed to the highest standard, incorporating contemporary classic design with local materials and artisanship. The rooms all have under floor heating; there are wood-burning stoves in the sitting rooms, and Fired Earth double ended baths to relax in after a day outdoors. The living room with its high ceilings and chunky beams plays host to generous Andrew Martin sofas and London-based Vincent Sheppard chairs, along with large tanned leather beanbags.

Alladale offers a nightly rate from £400 in Ghillies Rest and £700 in Eagles Crag which includes a fridge stocked full of locally sourced, organic ingredients to cook up a feast with along with the option of dinner cooked for you by a chef from Alladale Lodge and left for you to heat up. Also includes a personal ranger to take guests on 4×4 wilderness safaris, fishing lessons, hikes and mountain bike rides.