A Luxury Travel Blog

A stone’s throw from the upmarket shopping precinct of Plaza del Duque, the five star Iberostar Grand Hotel Anthelia is well positioned on the south of the island of Tenerife – close to the beach and good quality shops, yet sufficiently far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Playa de las Americas. This was my fifth visit to Tenerife and my third to the Adeje region, and once again it didn’t disappoint.

The Iberostar Anthelia is a large hotel, with some 390 rooms divided into 5 separate zones. We had adjoining rooms in ‘Carmen’ which overlooks the kids’ club and pool, and out to the sea and the beachfront of Fañabé beyond.  We arrived quite late so, after ordering from room service, had a great night’s sleep and explored the hotel the next day.

A sumptuous breakfast buffet was served in the Zeus restaurant in the morning, between the hours of 7.30am and 10.30am, so catering both for the early risers and those who enjoyed a lie-in whilst on holiday. The first morning after our arrival I noticed that ‘football’ (soccer) was available on the activity calendar. Although I was leaving it rather too late for a call-up from Fabio Capello, I turned up to a game supervised by the ever-friendly Marcus, a young German working at the hotel.  It was hot, but thoroughly enjoyable with a mixture of English and Spanish players; I just hope Marcus has fully recovered from me accidentally standing on his ankle in a goalmouth incident!

Activities available at the hotel are wide and varied, with everything from cooking demonstrations and evening shows to tennis and tai chi. One of the highlights for families staying is the kids’ club and the entertainment available for children aged 4-12 years old.  The club was equipped with lots of indoor and outdoor space, a small area for playing football and a small pool, and several staff on hand.  Each day, all the children could participate in the day’s games and, if successful, were presented with a medal at the kids’ disco later that evening.  Without exception, all the children loved the disco, learning the actions to a medley of English and German tunes, whilst parents relaxed with a drink or two before ‘Smiley’ the dog made an appearance at the end to draw the night to a close… a perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep for the whole family!

Other facilities at the hotel include multiple pools, restaurants and bars. In all, the hotel has three restaurants: Poseidon (a gourmet restaurant), Portofino (an Italian restaurant) and Zeus (a buffet restaurant). There is also the Thai Zen SPAce area which offers a new concept in wellbeing, offering yoga, meditation, massage, beauty treatments, flower baths, aromatherapy Jacuzzi, etc… you name it!

I was also lucky enough to be given a tour of Iberostar Grand Hotel El Mirador, an adults-only hotel just a little further up the coast towards La Caleta, with 120 suites. The tour took in the stunning Royal Suite for which guests pay an additional supplement of 900 euros per night.  This hotel also has three restaurants, as well as a meeting room/wedding venue/cinema, and it currently shares its spa with Anthelia but will have a new spa coming soon. There is also a gym with windows with sea views that open up to a lovely sea breeze whilst you’re burning the calories.

Both hotels do what they do well.  If you’re travelling with family, or perhaps in a group, you’ll enjoy the facilities and scale of Anthelia.  If you’re looking for a romantic getaway – away from children – then the solitude of El Mirador will suit you down to the ground.

My thanks go to Tenerife Tourism Corporation for their assitance with the visit.

For summer 2010 season the Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos, Greece, has opened with a stunning new look. This includes the debut of a new Martini Bar, a redesigned lobby, private VIP residents’ lounge and a selection of new luxury rooms. The result confirms the Belvedere’s position as one of the chicest and desirable destinations in the Greek Islands. The Belvedere’s owners, brothers, Nikolas and Tasos Ioannidis with their sister Domna have pulled together a team of experts, including the celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa, George Calombaris who have created signature restaurants at the hotel. New contemporary uniforms have also been designed by fashion designer Neil Barrett, while New York star architect David Rockwell, who created the W Hotel concept for Starwood has masterminded the sophisticated new look. Finally acclaimed mixologist Dale de Groff, the creator of the Cosmopolitan has created a collection of adventurous signature cocktails for the new Martini Bar.

With outposts in Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Singapore, the supperclub franchise is famous for serving up sumptuous suppers in sex-infused adult surroundings. Fortunately for those who reside in London, supperclub’s newest venue in Notting Hill lives up to the brand’s signature style. The interiors are as sleek as you’d expect, with a black-and-red bar for pre-supper drinks and a split-level dining room used for dinner and dancing. The square space is quite a sight to behold with bright white used throughout, from the glossy floor to the sofa-style seating that frames three walls. Cleanliness is considered, with glitzy guests required to take off their Louboutins before curling up on canvas cushions to enjoy the camp entertainment that unfolds before them. There are no menus here, so dinner is always a surprise mix of cuisines. With style and substance carefully balanced, supperclub challenges preconceptions of a night out and brings heady glamour back to the capital with a cool bar/restaurant/club combo.

Nick Clarke is Web Editor at Hg2 luxury city guides

If you find yourself in NYC for Memorial Day weekend, The Patio at The Wheeltapper Pub at The Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel invites you to stop by Friday from 7-9pm or from 5-7pm on Saturday or Sunday and sample a complimentary tasting plate of snacks when you order any two drinks. The magnificent, 2,200-square-foot Patio at The Wheeltapper is one of the best kept secrets in Midtown Manhattan. It is an all-weather oasis, protected from the elements by a retractable awning specially designed for the Patio by a custom sail maker from Barbados. If you won’t be visiting NYC for the holiday, you can stop by all summer long for one of The Wheeltapper’s seasonal cocktails with an Irish twist:

Solstice – Absolut Vodka, Cinnamon Syrup, Fresh Pressed Apple Juice, Cranberry Juice

South Highland – Sauza Reposado Tequila, Agavero Liqueur, Mathilde Black Currant Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice

Irish Summer Time – Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, Fresh Orange Juice, Simple Syrup

Pom Collins – Plymouth Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Pama Liqueur, Simple Syrup

Irish Spring – Jameson Irish Whiskey, Honey, Sauvignon Blanc, Fresh Apple Juice, Mango Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice

The Wheeltapper Pub and Patio at The Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel can be found at 141 E. 44th St, New York, NY 10017.

For those who aren’t already familiar, Shanghai Tang is a leading luxury lifestyle brand emerging from China, offering everything from luxury apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories and homeware.

And now, if you own an iPod Touch or iPhone, you can enjoy their latest collection courtesy of their free ‘City Chic’ app. The collection “embraces the euphoria of love with a sense of restraint and creative defiance, reflecting Shanghai Tang’s distinctive spirit of interpreting diverse artistic and cultural elements with a contemporary Chinese chic style”.

You can view items in the collection, watch video footage of models parading up and down at a Shanghai Tang fashion show and redeem vouchers that give you money off at certain stores or on certain products. But the app goes much further than this… it also tells you the coolest places to eat, drink, shop and party in Shanghai.

Whether you’re looking for a boutique 5 star hotel (88 Xintiandi), a chic little lounge bar (DR Bar near Ma Dang Road), the private tearooms of the Whampoa Club, or a sophisticated nightclub perched on top of a skyscraper (M1NT), or other hidden secrets of the city, you’ll find it all neatly packaged in this app.

There’s also, of course, the fine offerings of Shanghai Tang itself, including the Shanghai Tang Café, the Shanghai Tang Xintiandi Flagship Store, the Shanghai Tang Peninsula hotel store, the Shanghai Tang Shangri-la hotel store and the Shanghai Tang Jinjiang hotel store, making this a great little app for anyone looking to ‘live it up’ in Shanghai.  The app is free – download it, give it a try and let us know what you think.

Miami-based Desires Hotels has announced the latest international addition to their modern boutique collection, The Cliffs Ocean Resort, which is situated between Puerto Plata and Samana along the stunning north coast of the Dominican Republic. Opening in the Summer of 2011, room amenities will include large living areas and private terraces with unmatched views to the ocean and the mountains while being completely surrounded by a lush tropical landscape.

Built on 25 acres of ocean-side property, the resort will include a luxury spa featuring a wide array of Asian treatments that soothe the mind, body, and soul. For those wanting to relax poolside, there will be two salt-water infinity pools overlooking the Caribbean Sea along with a Beach Club that offers another form of respite in the bar and cigar lounge — the club also consists of a food and beverage outlet and area for teenagers. The resort has 24-hour room service, a Fitness Centre, helipad, and commercial shopping area. For those seeking a more active holiday there is golf practice facility, sports centre with tennis courts, and equestrian centre.

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali has re-opened Damar Terrace restaurant following extensive renovations by Yasuhiro Koichi, the acclaimed Japanese designer behind the Rock Bar.

Koichi, whose company Design Studio SPIN has created some of Asia’s most iconic bars and restaurants, combined comfort with modern Asian decor for relaxed all-day dining at Damar Terrace. His trademark style is reflected in the combination of traditional materials, motifs and colors, set off by cutting-edge lighting and clean modern lines softened by tranquil lotus ponds.

The restaurant’s menu has also been relaunched to feature more ‘small bite’ options and European dishes, to add to the range of Asian favorites.

When the beaming smiles of the doormen at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut dazzle their very first guests, the city will take another step forward in its renaissance as a 21st Century metropolis. After ten years in planning and five years under construction, the hotel opens as a gleaming statement of intent for visitors to enjoy warm, genuine Lebanese hospitality.

Nowhere is the city’s unique energy more intensely felt than through its own people – a proud culture with an indomitable spirit and an insatiable zest for life. The newest Four Seasons has filtered this energy down to its purest form, with over 300 local recruits amplifying the warm welcome found on the streets outside.

Throughout the hotel, the magic continues in the details, from a prime cut of Executive Chef Andrea Ossola’s Charolais beef on the The Grill Room’s marina-view terrace (try it with a glass of Domaine Wardy, Private Selection 2004, from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley) to the heavenly homemade truffles that accompany coffees beneath The Bar’s dramatic red and gold chandelier. Large terraces are standard in all 230 guest rooms and suites. The Spa, a cool statement in white marble and gold mosaics, has a suede-panelled couple’s suite with private terrace and whirlpool. And the rooftop pool – a glittering 26th-floor oasis with 360-degree views – towers above the raucous cityscape like a suspended haven of tranquillity.

In October we had the pleasure of staying at the Blue Palace Resort & Spa near Elounda on the Greek island of Crete. Since we arrived quite late in the evening, it wasn’t until morning that we could appreciate the full beauty of the resort’s position with its stunning view of the island of Spinalonga, with its rich and varied history.

The hotel, a member of The Luxury Collection fromStarwood Hotels & Resorts, is perfectly situated close to the small seaside village of Plaka. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this was going to be a wonderful place to relax. We occupied two interconnecting rooms; spacious and ideal for families with young children.

Both rooms came with balconies that provided us with a good overview of the resort, as did the rather handy resort map provided.  Blue Palace has its own stretch of private beach, numerous pools, its own watersports centre, conference facilities, a small boutique, tennis courts, a helipad and even a private chapel.

There are also multiple restaurants and bars here, including the traditional Blue Door restaurant. Close to the waters edge and enjoying a gentle sea breeze, Blue Door adopts the style of a typical Greek taverna its brightly painted tables and chairs overlooking a spectacular beachfront location.  It offered a themed fish night every Friday.

We primarily dined at the Isola Italian Restaurant and Olea (where breakfast is also served), but there are plenty of options including L’Orangerie, a two-time recipient of the Golden Toque Award (given to the best restaurants in Greece).  At Olea, you can experience a Greek night (Thursdays) and savour an authentic Greek dining experience.

At the heart of Blue Palace is The Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy offering signature treatments, massages, facials and body wraps, with a swimming pool, saunas, Jacuzzis, steam baths, a hair salon and a well-equipped fitness centre.  Its received many prestigious awards including the Spa Finder Readers’ Award 2007 for The Best Spa in Greece.

For children there is ample to enjoy. The resort has its own kids club and a playground area where the little ones can enjoy everything from swings to climbing olive trees.  There’s also table tennis and of course the beach and the swimming pools which are two boys thoroughly enjoyed.  It’s worth noting that a kids’ menu was available in all the restaurants, so they are made to feel welcome throughout the resort.

In conclusion, nothing was too much trouble for the staff at Blue Palace and this is what sets it apart from many other places. With their Ultimate Guest Service, you can request whatever you want, be it a bath with candles, Champagne and strawberries, or a helicopter ride to Santorini.  When staff are eager to fulfil any and every request their guests throw at them, you know you are staying somewhere special.

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.

The Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore has completed its multimillion-dollar renovation and unveiled the Westshore district’s “newest” property. The 261-suite hotel has seen a facelift that has touched virtually every aspect of the hotel, including all of the two-room suites; the eight-story tropical atrium; the innovative, modern business lounge; the 12,000+ square feet of meeting space (including a 2,000 square foot expansion); the St. James Grill Restaurant and Bar; and the fitness centre and pool area. It also added such signature Sheraton amenities as the Sweet Sleeper Bed, the ‘Link @ Sheraton’ lobby, flat-panel HD televisions and hardwood flooring on select floors.

For the first time, the international hotel chain Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is to open a Swissôtel in India. The new deluxe hotel will be in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and a city that is home to the country’s second-largest stock exchange, the Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE). It will be in part of the City Centre – New Town shopping mall with shops, restaurants and a multiplex cinema, and has 147 rooms, each at least 32m² in size. Three restaurants, including a speciality restaurant and an open-air restaurant, a lobby bar and a poolside bar will be available to guests. Facilities will also include conference rooms offering 1261m² of space, a fitness centre and a rooftop swimming pool. The hotel is due to open in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The Pierre, the iconic hotel on New York’s Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 61st Street that is the U.S. flagship for Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, has re-opened following completion of the final phase of its meticulous $100 million overhaul. With the re-opening comes 11 Grand Suites including the Presidential Suite. In total there are now 189 redesigned residential-style guest rooms, including 49 suites, all featuring the most modern of comforts and a feeling of quiet luxury in new guest room and bath interiors by James Park Associates.

The Tata Suite (the Presidential Suite) offers unrivalled views of Central Park from its commanding location on the 39th floor. Rich gold, silver and porcelain tones embrace an inviting living room, two bedrooms and a gracious dining room with service pantry. Its 1,980-square-foot interior also showcases a photographic essay of the history of the House of Tata and hand-crafted artworks by artisans from Paramparik Karigar, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting India’s artistic heritage and supported by Taj Hotels.

First floor public areas have been reconfigured to accommodate a graciously welcoming reception area; Two E, the hotel’s new destination lounge and bar that serves light plates, afternoon tea and classic cocktails in what was the original reading room now transformed by Champalimaud; a new restaurant, Le Caprice, the first location outside of London for this celebrated UK favourite that will serve long-standing modern European favourites within a specially designed New York menu, opens its dining room designed by Martin Brudnizki next month.

Borgo Egnazia, the Mediterranean’s newest luxury resort will open this Autumn, with a soft opening next month followed by an official launch in Spring 2010. Created by the owners of Masseria San Domenico, Borgo Egnazia is positioned to become one of the leading luxury family, spa and golf resorts in the Mediterranean, featuring a luxury hotel, a traditional Apulian village and 28 private villas across 20 hectares on the coast of Southern Italy.

The main hotel will feature 63 guest rooms and suites; a variety of restaurants and bars; two outdoor and one indoor swimming pool; a grand ballroom and several meeting rooms; plus a 2,000 m² Raison d’Etre spa, designed to be one of the best in Europe, featuring a modern-day interpretation of a Roman bath house.  There will also be 28 villas which will represent the most exclusive accommodation at the Resort; each with three bedrooms, a private garden and a swimming pool, wrap-around balconies and roof terraces.

The most spectacular part of the Resort will be the Village inspired by the nearby hillside towns. A total of 72 Apulian townhouses surround the central piazza, hosting 91 beautiful one and two-bedroom suites along with private Arab gardens, balconies and roof terraces overlooking the sea. The Village will include an array of bars and restaurants as well as a swimming pool, children’s facilities and a cooking school.

In addition to the 18-hole championship San Domenico Golf course, the Resort features tennis courts, a private beach club with an additional bar/restaurant and an array of water sports. Special activities can be arranged (maximum 10 minutes drive from the resort) including sailing, wind and kite surfing, horse riding, soccer and kart-racing.

Borgo Egnazia cradles the ancient city of Egnazia, nestled between the foothills of the Appenines and the azure Adriatic. This is a landscape drenched in ancient olive groves, rosemary, bougainvillea and jasmine, where the green fairways of one of the finest golf courses in Southern Italy provide a horizon down to the traditional fishing village of Savelletri. The views from the Resort have a rich history dating back before Christ. The ancient Roman city of Egnazia is open for all to see …‘Carpe Diem’ could not be more apt here, famously penned by Horace who is believed to have passed by using the still-preserved tracks of Via Traiana. Guests can follow in his footsteps as this ancient road to Rome runs through the Resort and is clearly visible at the front gates.

Being located in central Puglia, the Resort is an ideal base to explore the entire region, from Lecce’s unique baroque architecture to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Alberobello. Festivals and food markets throughout the year offer visitors a glimpse into the past, present and future of Southern Italy, where locals demonstrate their proud Medieval heritage, their distinct cuisine and unique identity in all its vibrant colour.

The W brand’s 33rd hotel, W Santiago is the cornerstone of a larger, mixed-use complex, Isidora 3000, which includes a convention center, boutique office space, and high-end retail shops in addition to the W Hotel and W-branded residences. Developed by the Territoria Group, W Santiago is located in the heart of the fashionable El Golf district of the Chilean capital city and surrounded by the magnificent peaks of the Andes.

For W Santiago, renowned New York designer Tony Chi partnered with native Chilean designer Sergio Echeverria and his studio Echeverria Edwards & CIA to create cutting edge interiors for the hotel and residences that are a cool, contemporary take on the varied Chilean landscape. Their interior design approach sets the stage for W’s signature programming, including Whiskey Blue, an amped-up hotspot on the fourth floor of the hotel, Red2 One, a breathtaking rooftop bar, and W Lounge (W’s take on the traditional hotel lobby), all from famed nightlife entrepreneurs Rande and Scott Gerber of the Gerber Group; Osaka, the Zen-inspired restaurant featuring Peruvian-Asian cuisine by Chef Ciro Watanabe; NoSo and Terraza, two Modern French restaurants by renowned chef Jean-Paul Bondoux; an intimate Tea Library, managed by the talented French chef Sebastien Fontes; a lively Wine Bar; and W Hotels The Store, W’s twist on the hotel gift shop. In addition, hotel guests have access to the adjacent O2 Balance & Wellness Club, which offers 2,000 square meters of high-end equipment for physical training and spa treatment rooms.

The iconic Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island will open its doors shortly. The 428-room contemporary hotel is located along the new Links Championship Golf Course and is within five minutes walking distance of the latest Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit.

This latest addition to IHG’s Crowne Plaza estate is situated on one of the country’s most exciting developments, Yas Island. The hotel’s close proximity to the airport and 35 minute drive from Abu Dhabi City Centre makes this a prime location for both business & leisure travellers alike.

All guest rooms and suites are stylishly decorated and include free wireless internet access, with a spacious working area.  The hotel’s leisure facilities include a part-shaded 25 metre outdoor pool and state-of-the art gym complete with sauna, steam rooms and squash court.  For the discerning business traveller Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island has everything you need to make your trip hassle free. It has a 24 hour Business Centre, 10 meeting rooms that cater for up to 600 people featuring the latest audio-visual equipment complete with natural lighting and outdoor terraces.

The all-day dining restaurant, Jing Asia offers a mouth watering array of local and international cuisine. Guests can savour Europe at its best in the unique Stills brasserie or enjoy more regional flavours in the beautiful Lebanese restaurant, Barouk. Views, the relaxing lobby lounge offers stunning views of the golf course and mangroves, our chic wine bar, Vino, serves a wide variety of beverages and the chilled out Sundowner pool bar is the perfect place to unwind while watching the sun set. All dining options feature outdoor terrace seating to be taken advantage of during the cooler times of the year.