A Luxury Travel Blog

As temperatures rise and summer is upon us, thoughts turn to escaping daily routines and indulging in some truly luxurious personal pampering, either by basking in the warm tropical climes of Asia or by maximising a well-earned city break in the US at one of The Peninsula properties.  This summer The Peninsula Hotels has introduced The Suite Life, inviting guests to experience the most spacious and luxurious accommodations available. Valid from 1st May to 14th September 2008, guests can enjoy a complimentary second night when booking a two-night suite stay with The Suite Life. Validity dates may vary at each Peninsula Hotel.

The latest addition to Lanzarote´s growing legion of luxury spas is now open for business.  Boasting some seriously funky décor, top-end treatments and plenty of pampering for both guests and non-residents alike. The all new Beatriz Hotel Spa in Matagorda features a 60s retro colour scheme, with blasts of olive greens and candy pinks predominating in the tiling. The hydrothermal circuit comprises underwater jets, waterfalls, micro-bubble beds, swan’s neck jets, Jacuzzi, sauna, along with Turkish baths and power showers. And there is an extensive range of beauty treatments and therapies on offer too.  Open daily 10.00 – 19.00.

Nick Ball is a freelance writer and author of Lanzarote Guidebook.

Résidence Supérieur is an extreme luxury concept, designed by internationally known lifestyle designer Richard Nilsson, located on the French Riviera. The concept include super sports cars, private jets, yachts, butlers, chefs, bodyguards and any other service you may wish for. Résidence Supérieur is created for the extreme connoisseurs and is totally unique in the way that there are no limits for how you can tailor your staying. The concept will be expanded to other locations in the near future and is currently offering Villa Oxygene in Cannes.

Don’t let your dreams of a grand summer vacation slip away. Take advantage of Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Endless Summer Offer, and capture a Kiawah Moment that will last a lifetime. With miles of pristine beach, five championship golf courses, a nature based spa, award-winning dining and a renowned recreation and children’s programs, a Kiawah Moment is sure to be found at every turn.

From 17th-28th August 2008, your family can enjoy:

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Ocean View Accommodations
$375 per room, per night
Offer represents a 27% Savings to our guests.
Guests staying 3 or more nights receive a $100 Room Credit

The Villas at Kiawah Island
One Bedroom Scenic View Villas
Starting from $155 per night
Offer represents a 23% saving

Fancy a limousine pick up, private jet to New York City, dinner in a  chic New York restaurant, the best seats in a Broadway show, a limousine back to your private jet, flight complete with Cristal Champagne and strawberries to another awaiting limo to whisk you to your door? Me too.  Be Pretty Woman for the evening but without Richard Gere!  Get more information on this getaway from Millionaire’s Concierge.

Rachel Webb is author of luxury travel blogs for Spain and the UK.

Tripadvisor sent me an email yesterday, outlining their top 10 European luxury hotels.  In numerical order, they are as follows:

1. The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Germany 
2. Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort, Greece
3. Hotel Le Palais, Czech Republic 
4. The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, England 
5. Hotel Prinsenhof, Belgium 
6. Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Hungary 
7. Rudding Park Hotel, England 
8. Swissotel Berlin, Germany 
9. Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, France 
10. Riverside Hotel, Czech Republic

No doubt you’ve been to a hotel that you think ought to be in the list, but isn’t.  Tell us by clicking on the comments link.

Whether this is a sign of tough times ahead for the luxury travel industry, I don’t know, but there’s been a glut of $99 offers lately.  The latest I’ve noticed comes courtesy of The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Stay a little longer and you can even also earn credits towards resort activities such as dining, tennis, golf and spa treatments.

Reputedly the tallest château in France, Le Château de Brissac has seven floors and 204 rooms. Situated in the Anjou section of the Loire Valley, it has served as the seat of the Dukes of Brissac since the early 16th Century to the present day.  Overnight accommodation is available at the hotel and is priced at 390 euros per night for up to two poeple.  This includes breakfast and a guided tour of the castle.

What better way is there to explore some of the 5,700 square miles of the Serengeti National Park than by hot air balloon?  For a very reasonable $479 or $499 per person (depending on precise location), Serengeti Balloon Safaris will take you up for an hour to get a unique overview of the flora and fauna that abounds. Time it right and you might even witness the annual migration.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would YOU like to go ballooning most? Click on the comments link to let us know!

With rising fuel prices and the plight of a number of business class-only airlines in recent times, it’s perhaps a bold move for British Airways to last month launch OpenSkies, a new premium affiliate running Boeing 757s with reclining leather seats, on-demand entertainment system and a la carte meal service for its passengers. For the time being there is just one jet running six times a week between Paris Orly and New York’s JFK, but additional jets are expected to cater for other European destinations by the end of 2009.

According to the Sofia Echo, the Chedi brand is heading for Bulgaria. The hotel will form part of the Thracian Rocks Golf & Spa resort complex near Kavarna on the Black Sea which is being built in three phases.

The first [phase], currently underway, will deliver a golf course with 18 holes, nine of which will be playable by mid-2009, hotel, villas, yacht marina complex with resort apartments and inland apartment buildings.

The second phase will include another hotel, but details on that one are yet to be announced.

Just when you thought that the Dubai hotel market might be totally saturated, along comes another big name. St. Regis has announced that it will be joining the fray, with a hotel and residences to open in 2012. The St. Regis Dubai and The Residences will feature 220 guest rooms, including 44 Junior Suites, 80 branded residences, three restaurants, two bars, fitness centre, swimming pool, shops and more than 4,500 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and banquet space.  Hotels in Dubai recorded 1.89 million guests in the first quarter of 2008, which represented a growth of 7% (and apparently a 22% increase on revenue) on the same period last year, so maybe there is still scope for another.

Situated five metres below sea level, Ithaa is an underwater restaurant in the Maldives, surrounded by a coral reef at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in Rangalifinolhu.  It has a 270-degree tranlucent acrylic roof, giving diners an incredible view of their submarine surroundings. The menu offers a Maldavian-Western fusion with the cost of a meal there typically being in the $150-$250 price range. 

For more information, see their YouTube video:

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Maxwell Scott bags, made from fine Italian leather
• Why not joing the Hideaways Aficionado® Club?
• Florida’s newly-renovated Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa 
• The world-renowned Hotel Bora Bora

Set within the city’s dramatic Isla Verde district and completely redesigned, El San Juan Hotel & Casino is the place to see and be seen. From the scintillating pool complex to the glamorous nightlife and the island’s most beautiful beach, this is the most electrifying destination in all of the Caribbean. Also yours to enjoy is a sophisticated collection of tempting restaurants.  Summer rates currently from $149.