A Luxury Travel Blog

Alison Scott is the Commercial Director for Elegant Resorts.  She has been at Elegant for just over a year and prior to that was Head of Product at ITC in Chester. Her background has always been in travel. She started in travel after she left University, as a Rep overseas, and has stayed in the industry ever since. Working mainly in Product and Ops for luxury tour operators, including 7 years with Simply Travel in London.

What is it that you do exactly?

No day is the same. My responsibilities at ER are to manage the Product, Aviation and Marketing side of the business. Anything supplier facing. I am also responsible for looking at our Commercial reporting and we are constantly working ahead and planning to ensure business levels going forward. There are always day to day issues/problems and opportunities to deal with that can take over and need to be dealt with. In todays challenging market, nothing is more important than reacting to changes in demand and being flexible with marketing planning and product offering.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Everything! But Product has always been my specialty and I love looking forward and working with the Product managers on new growth and destinations. I also love being able to work with the other Directors and Senior Managers at ER to directly influence the future of the business … we have a great deal of input into strategic planning and being in charge of your own destiny is very empowering.

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

I have stayed in so many wonderful places but most recently:

Vancouver – Canada. I just felt very at home in the city. Loved the atmosphere and it is a very interesting place, plus you can go up into the mountains, and be skiing in 2 hours. Stunning scenery.

Rio – Brazil. Just a really edgy city, with a great vibe. So much to see and do and the first place I have been handgliding (and first and last!). Rio is a must do for any traveller, a fabulous experience.

Anguilla – Caribbean. I loved the laid back atmosphere of the Island and everyone was so friendly. Some of the most beautiful beaches I have seen.

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

Sushi at the beach restaurant at Le Prince Maurice in Mauritius. I love sushi and I love the beach… it was an ideal combination.

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

At Elegant Resorts we are very discreet  about our celebrity clients. However did recently attend the 10^th anniversary party for the Burj Al Arab in London which was hosted by Bruce Forsyth… my Mum was very jealous!

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

I have never been to Australia or New Zealand or any of the islands in that part of the world – so they are on my to do list. Also would love to go to Madagascar – looks and sounds stunning and unspoilt.

Thank you, Alison.  Madagascar is on my wishlist also… one day, perhaps!

Les Pavillons, Naïade’s latest jewel, reopens its doors after a complete renovation. The hotel, situated at Le Morne, now glitters as a magnificent 5 star establishment with interior design from Virginie Koenig. The resort still boasts 149 rooms, which are now more spacious, and four restaurants at the heart of the hotel: Nipa, a Thai gastronomic restaurant, Horizon, the main restaurant with its Show Kitchen, the Nautile bar for light meals and the Obergine with its Mediterranean cuisine. The luxury Nymphéa Spa, with its advanced professional treatments, is one of the strongest trump cards of Les Pavillons. Nestled at the heart of a mineral garden, with the Pamplemousses Garden water lily as emblem, the Nymphéa Spa celebrates the benefits of water. Ten treatment rooms are available, as well as two external double kiosks. The Nymphéa Spa has its own pool and all massage tables are equipped with hydro mattress.

Designed as a magical hideaway, Heritage Golf & Spa Resort invites those seeking the excellence and refinement of a rich past on an enchanting journey in timeless African elegance and tradition. Brought together in a lush and tropical site, this new deluxe hotel reveals classical charm and contemporary chic on the unspoilt South Coast of Mauritius.  With an amazing 18-hole international golf course, one of the most beautiful spas in the Indian Ocean, fine dining experiences and a wide array of leisure activities, the hotel offers guests unique delights to enjoy while on holiday on the island.

One of the best kept secrets of Mauritius, Le Telfair, can be found on the south coast at Bel Ombre, adjoining the most pristine stretches of beach on the island. Explore the nearby Domaine de Bel Ombre nature reserve, play a round at the 18-hole golf course or experience the many forms of holistic healing, wellbeing and pampering at the beautiful Six Senses Spa.

This idyllic retreat is the pinnacle of tropical luxury and is suitable for couples and families alike.  On the east coast of Mauritius, encompassing three tropical islands; Frangipani is linked to the mainland by a wooden bridge, Ile aux Cerfs and Ilot Mangénie are both reached in a few minutes by private boat. Accommodation at Le Touessrok includes deluxe rooms and junior suites, sea-facing suites on Frangipani Island and the exclusive three-bedroomed private villas.  Recreational facilities include tennis, watersports, a Givenchy Spa, two swimming pools and the 18-hole Bernhard Langer designed golf course.  Younger guests are well-catered for by the excellent T Club. Dining venues include Three-Nine-Eight, Safran, by Michelin-starred Vineet Bhatia and the beachside Barlens restaurant.

In the heart of the Indian Ocean on the North West coast of Mauritius lies Royal Palm, a magical boutique hotel, a place of sheer beauty and home to excellence and luxury. An uninterrupted stretch of immaculate beach and one of the finest lagoons in Mauritius offers an array of watersports, or you can simply relax in the hotel’s luxury spa. The caring and attentive staff attend to your every need.  Book your honeymoon with them and your spouse can enjoy savings of up to 50%.

• 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!

An agreement between InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Lateral Holdings will see a US$50 million luxury resort reach the idyllic island of Mauritius in late 2008. The 210-room InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort, just 15 minutes from the island’s popular Grand Baie and 20 minutes north of the country’s capital Port Louis, will offer guests a prime beachfront location in the Bay of Balaclava. Of the 210 rooms, 10 will be suites. This development is InterContinental’s first in Africa, and part of an agressive 3-year campaign to double IHG’s property portfolio in the Middle East and Africa.

Located on one of the most beautiful beaches on Mauritius, Le Telfair offers true colonial style, set against a backdrop of mountains and countryside.  Inspired by grand colonial architecture, the stylish rooms and suites are the perfect place to unwind and relax.  Allow yourself to be tempted by the decadence of the Six Senses spa or one of the five excellent restaurants.  Or if you fancy an adventure, explore the nature reserve of Valriche, located next door, to get a unique glimpse of the fascinating flora and fauna of the island.

A neatly-done video showing why the 5 star Mauritius Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa is the perfect spot to nurture your body and soul.

Taj Hotels have a lot of great offers for the forthcoming summer, including:

• 1 night at the Taj Exotica Bentota and 2 nights at Taj Samudra Colombo for $390 per couple with breakfast, transfers & more
• $1,000 for 2 nights at The Pierre, New York, with breakfast
• €1,300 for 3 nights at the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Mauritius, with breakfast and transfers
• Two not-to-be-missed offers from the Taj Residency Aurangabad, starting at Rs 12000 for 3 days with meals, sightseeing & lots more!
• 3 nights at Fort Aguada Beach Resort Goa, for Rs 17400 with breakfast, lunch or dinner, sightseeing and more, from 15 April 2007

See tajoffers.com for details of these and more.

In northern Mauritius you will find what could be arguably described as the most unique spa in the world. Le Cannonier is a family friendly hotel and resort close to the shopping of Grand Baie and with beautiful views of the Indian Ocean and 18th Century sea-facing canons from where the property gets is name.  But what’s really unique here are the five massage rooms that are integrated into a two-hundred-year-old banyan tree – simply perfect for a relaxing getaway.

Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers in Mauritius is offering a second person stay for half price to entice visitors to the Indian Ocean. The exotic resort enjoys white sand beach frontage, and offers guests an exhilarating range of included watersports, from sailing and kayaking to snorkeling, waterskiing and windsurfing. The offer is valid until the end of the month for bookings until 30th April 2007, with certain dates excluded from the promotion.

From last Sunday’s Observer newspaper:

The Shangri-La hotel and resort chain claims to have now opened its first six-star hotel, the Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in Muscat. The One&Only Le Touessrok in Mauritius made the same claim when it reopened after a £32m renovation in 2002, while the Burj Al Arab in Dubai has even been described in the press as a seven-star property.

But what does all this actually mean? The answer: absolutely nothing. No official rating boards in any country offer anything higher than a five-star rating and, in some countries, including France, four stars is the absolute maximum, no matter how swanky the property. And for the time being at least, no ratings boards have any intention of adding extra stars.

‘It’s yet another product of an over-zealous marketing mind,’ says Paul McManus, head of the Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of 420 of the world’s top places to stay. ‘In my opinion, hotels should forget about giving themselves another star and let their performance speak for itself.’

Given there are no official classifications that extend beyond five stars, should there be legislation to prevent such self-appointed accolades?

Mark Twain purported that Mauritius was made first, and heaven was later modelled on it. It may be just a speck in the Indian Ocean, but the idyllic island has more beautiful beaches and top-quality hotels than any other destination. In a recent article for The Telegraph, Teresa Levonian Cole picks her 10 favourites. They are:

• Royal Palm
• The Oberoi
• Le Prince Maurice
• Le Saint Séran
• La Belle Mare
• The Residence
• Le Touessrok
• Taj Exotica
• Le Paradis
• Dinarobin

The most distinctive properties in The Oberoi Group are the luxury properties in India, which were developed relatively recently, including The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, Wildflower Hall in Mashobra in the Himalayan mountains, The Oberoi Vanyavilãs in Ranthambhore, The Oberoi Cecil in Shimla and The Oberoi Udaivilãs in Udaipur. There are also opulent properties in Mauritius and Egpyt.