A Luxury Travel Blog

The Rocco Forte Collection – which currently has 13 luxury hotels in major cities across Europe - has revealed that its first property in the Middle East will open in Abu Dhabi this Autumn. It will be followed by a 146-bedroom property opening in Jeddah in 2011, a 90 All-suite Golf, Spa & Villa Resort in Marrakech in 2011 and a 275 bedroom property in Cairo in 2013.

In 2011, for the very first time, Silversea’s new Silver Spirit will embark on a full World Cruise traversing both hemispheres. This grandest of voyages, appropriately themed “Spirit of Discovery”, begins in Los Angeles on 19th January 2011, when Silver Spirit is set to welcome no more than 540 privileged guests for a 119-day odyssey exploring 60 destinations in 25 countries – with 11 overnight port visits – before concluding in Southampton on 19th May. Along the journey, Silver Spirit will take in the tranquillity of French Polynesia, Australia’s untamed landscapes, the unique customs and cultures of Asia, ancient Egyptian wonders and timeless Mediterranean hideaways spanning from Italy and Monaco to Spain and Portugal.

Guests will enjoy spacious, ocean-view accommodation, sumptuous gourmet cuisine served in six dining venues, the personalised service of a butler assigned to every suite, and Silversea’s generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages, wines and spirits served throughout the ship, 24-hour room service and stocked in-suite beverage cabinet.

Learn more about the ship and her sea trials from this video:

Just look at how much you can pack into a day in Egypt! This inspiring commercial for tourism in Egypt covers everything from quad biking in Sharm El Sheikh and scuba diving in Dahab to rock climbing in Taba and an evening at the theatre in Cairo…

The 5-star deluxe Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel, based on the Red Sea in Hurghada, Egypt, has introduced a Sunshine Guarantee where guests will be able to redeem free nights should the sun not shine.  With Hurghada’s sunny climate and year-round warm weather, guests to the region should be able to expect a stay filled with sunshine and good weather. However, should a complete day not be sunny or should it even rain for more then one hour a day, holidaymakers to the hotel need not despair. A voucher will be awarded for a free night’s stay for every ‘lost’ day, which customers may redeem through booking directly with the hotel. The voucher will be issued to the departing guest at their time of check out and will be valid for one year.

Jaz Hotels & Resorts, a unique collection of highly regarded brands encompassing Jaz Resorts, Iberotel Hotels & Resorts, Sol Y Mar Resorts and the Travcotel Nile cruise fleet, is set for a major expansion in 2009 which will see more than 3000 rooms added to its portfolio of properties in and around the Red Sea. A total of 11 new properties, opening between January and December 2009, will include Jaz branded five star hotels in Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Matrouh, Ain El Sokhna, Taba and Hurghada as well as Sol Y Mar branded four-star hotels in Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh and the newly opened five-star Iberotel Cairo Hotel and Casino.

At Hyatt Resorts you’re pretty much guaranteed a fun-filled holiday for the whole family as both children and parents are well catered for.  A typical example is the Oasis Kids’ Club at Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh which will amuse and delight youngsters with fun and educational activities overseen by a team of professionally trained child minders, allowing parents enjoy the freedom to explore the myriad of activities elsewhere in the resort. Daily activities include children’s aerobics, dancing lessons, painting, handicrafts, mini sports and storytelling. The Clubhouse features a shaded kiddies pool, playroom and nap room. Sounds like enough to tire the little ones out so they also sleep well at the end of the day!

Dusit International is officially opening the Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo today. The Cairo hotel is the company’s first property on the African continent, and brings it a step closer to the Europe.  It is strategically located in the New Cairo district known as the “Land of Gold”. The area is resplendent with waterfalls, brand tree-lined streets and sparkling lakes and stream. A mere 20 minutes from Cairo International Airport it is linked by bridge to Giza and the Pyramids. Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo offers 203 luxury rooms and suites, Dusit Club Lounge, Dusit Gourmet Lounge and Bar, Thai and Mediterranean culinary experiences. The Grand Ballroom is a magnificent 1,536 square meter fully-equipped setting for up to 1,000 guests. The 10 meeting rooms are supported by a common business centre and pre-function terrace. The hotel’s banqueting delivers an unmatched catering service par excellence. Impeccable facilities include a large swimming pool, 15 cabanas for day use, fitness centre, 6 tennis and 2 squash courts, kid’s club plus spa and wellness centre as well as a unique multi unit shopping Bazaar, retail shops and bank.

Set on the banks of one of the most breathtaking waterways in the world, in a town rich with ancient antiquities, Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa will reopen for business this weekend, following a US$45 million dollar master makeover that has taken almost 3 years. Located within minutes of the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, the 236-room Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa has been entirely transformed to emerge as a dazzling new retreat that echoes the majesty of the thousands of year old treasures that surround it. The guiding design principle of the new resort has been the River Nile, meaning that five of the seven dining options, and half of the guest rooms, have been adjusted to reveal spectacular vistas over 170 metres of prime river frontage.  And the new focal point of the resort has become an infinity edge swimming pool seemingly built into the lip of the Nile.

Welcome to Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera where the sun always shines – every day of every year.

Kevin May is editor of Travolution, an industry-focussed magazine for online travel and division of Reed Business Information.  It consists of a blog, e-news service and a physical magazine, and is a leader in its field with an advisory board that comprises some of the biggest names in the travel industry.

What is it that you do exactly?

I am responsible for all editorial content on Travolution, including our magazine, website and blog. I also produce our fortnightly podcast, The Purple Pod, and organise our conferences and other events as well as oversee the Travolution Awards. It’s a busy job!

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The most rewarding aspect of editing Travolution is being able to track and analyse such a wonderfully diverse and innovative industry as travel and its use of the web. Equally, as a journalist at heart, when we set the record straight or uncover a scoop still gives me an incredible buzz. I’m very lucky to work with some fantastic writers and reporters.

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

Hanoi: easily the most fascinating city I have ever visited. My wife and I stayed there during a seven-month jaunt around Asia in 2000. We were mesmerised by the colour and smells, the French and traditional Vietnamese quarters, and – whether it exists in reality or not is another question – a sense of proud nationhood. A remarkable capital in a remarkable country.

Varanasi (Benares): This central Indian city is an assault on the senses and consciousness. Despite it being a place where many people come to die (simply because of its proximity to the holy Ganges river), life abounds everywhere. The customs associated with death, while perhaps alien and odd to some westerners, are seen as life affirming to Hindus, giving it the feeling of being a place where people actually come to celebrate life. My wife was also taken very ill here so I have the utmost respect for Indian medical staff forced to work in, er, challenging conditions.

Lake Toba, Sumatra: The most beautiful place I have had the pleasure of visiting. Once a sunken caldera (super-volcano), currently a giant lake, Toba has incredible feature, plant life and a real feeling of isolation. There are few places on earth that have had such a dramatic physical history and the laid-back attitude of the people is in absolute tune with the environment around them. An almost perfect location on many levels.

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

I spent four days practically marooned on a slow boat travelling across the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia. I ate rice every meal as – being a strict vegetarian – the boiled ’something’ didn’t appeal and there was absolutely nothing else to eat. After finally arriving in Siem Reap, I ate almost everything I could on the menu at the guesthouse – mounds of vegetables, a huge omelette, slice after slice of bread, any fruit I could get my hands on, cereal, yoghurt… everything. It might not sound like a feast for a king, but it tasted so good.

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

I have been fortunate to meet many wonderful and talented people through work or when travelling, although I have a tendency to steer away from so-called celebrities, even when given the opportunity. In fact, most of the “richest” people I’ve met are probably those that have created a fantastic business and subsequently reaped the rewards for their innovation and passion for travel and the Web.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

I am currently at that stage, with a young family, where I am yearning to return to places I have visited previously, primarily – though not guaranteed at all (!!) – in the vain hope of sharing the experiences I had. I hope to return to Angkor Wat in Cambodia one day and also trek the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal (a three-week hike). Egypt, Mexico, Peru and New Zealand would also make my current wishlist.

Unfortunately the overseas trips of a business magazine editor these days consist primarily of enjoying the inside of some very nice hotel conference suites. A shame really…

Thank you, Kevin. And keep up the good work at Travolution!

The Grand Hyatt Cairo is a luxury landmark hotel situated on Roda Island; a peaceful haven with all of its stunning rooms overlooking the River Nile. The hotel enjoys a perfect location in the centre of the business and commercial district of the city, and yet it is also very close to Cairo’s many cultural and tourist attractions, including the Pyramids of Giza, Cairo Tower and the Cairo Museum. Of its nine top-class restaurants, the magnificent Revolving Restaurant is the highest restaurant in the Middle East. It has unprecedented views of Cairo and is 30 metres in diameter whilst rotating 360 degrees in 75 minutes, bringing the Pyramids, the River Nile and the entire city of Cairo all into view.

• La Villa des Orangers – Marrakech, Morocco
• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt – Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
• Table Bay Hotel Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa
• Belle Mare Plage Hotel – Belle Mare, Mauritius
• Ngorongoro Crater Lodge – Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
• Le Touessrok – Trou d’eau Douce, Mauritius
• Cape Grace – Cape Town, South Africa
• Hyatt Regency Sharm El-Sheikh Resort – Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
• Steenberg Hotel – Constantia, South Africa
• Shamwari Game Reserve – Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Come back tomorrow for the final instalment – the best in Canada!

Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis is a new high-rise hotel in Cairo with 247 rooms and suites, three restaurants and more than 30,000 square feet of function and meeting space. It has a large atrium with tropical gardens and palm trees, and will have a spa added by the end of the year.  Next door is another hotel that Fairmont acquired – work will begin there next month and that will be known as just the Fairmont Heliopolis.  It too will have three restaurants, as well as 588 guest rooms, outdoor tennis courts and indoor squash courts.

iExplore, named the Best Adventure Travel Website by Forbes Magazine and Travel + Leisure, has announced a list of top 10 world travel destinations as determined by purchases made by adventure and experiential travellers.  Egypt retains its number one spot, but South Africa jumps to the number 2 spot (from 19th position the year before). Argentina and Italy fell to 21st and 26th positions respectively, having previously been in the top 10. Here’s their current top 10, with the previous year’s ranking in brackets:

1. Egypt (#1)
2. South Africa (#19)
3. China (#6)
4. Antarctica (#2)
5. Peru (#4)
6. Galapagos (#17)
7. Thailand (#5)
8. Costa Rica (#11)
9. Tanzania (#8)
10. India (#14)

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is to introduce its renowned St. Regis brand to Africa, with plans to debut a new property in the heart of downtown Cairo in 2011. The St. Regis, Cairo will include 299 lavishly furnished rooms and 103 serviced apartments as part of a luxurious, mixed-use development overlooking the River Nile. Owned by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, the St. Regis, Cairo will represent the ultimate expression of contemporary luxury in Egypt’s thriving capital city.

The key winners from this year’s Spa Finder Readers’ Choice Awards are recognised by ‘Crystal Awards’. These are the crème de la crème of the innumerable winners, limited to just one from each continent. The five (there aren’t many to choose from in Antarctica!) to shine through this year are as follows:

• Favorite Spa of Africa: Four Seasons Resort Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
• Favorite Spa of Asia: Chiva-Som, Hua Hin, Thailand
• Favorite Spa of Australia: Spa Chakra Hayman, Australia
• Favorite Spa of Europe: Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort, Tuscany, Italy
• Favorite Spa of North America: Miraval Life in Balance, Tucson, Arizona, USA
• Favorite Spa of South America: Kurotel Longevity Center and Spa, Brazil

Congratulations to these very select band of winners.