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 Palace Wing of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai is currently being restored following the events of 2008 and Taj has launched a microsite to keep customers informed of progress. In the next few months Taj will be reopening the Rooms and Grand Suites of the heritage wing in a phased manner. The microsite talks about the renowned restaurants that are already fully operational. It also showcases the rich history of Taj, its heritage, royalty, art and architecture ) and encourages people to share their special memories of Taj on the site.

A relative newcomer to Kuala Lumpur’s restaurant scene, Albion restaurant is quickly gaining a reputation as a top place to eat. I described it elsewhere as “probably the best place to eat in KL”, so I wanted to be sure that A Luxury Travel Blog readers gained the benefit of the insider knowledge too. Here Albion co-owner James Grierson talks about his life, and his latest venture, Albion.

What is it that you do exactly?

I co-own a restaurant called Albion located in the Bukit Bintang area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I run front of house whilst Colin, my partner, runs the kitchen.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I have a great passion for food, drink and people. Involvement in this industry sates my appetite for all three. Every day is different. Every day is hugely gratifying. To meet new people and experience, vicariously, their enjoyment of what we offer at Albion is what it’s all about. When they return for more, I know we are on the right track.

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

Bachelor Hall, St James, Barbados – It’s a mansion right on the beach and one memorable evening I watched the sunset with a glass of whisky in one hand and my Walkman playing Beethoven in the other. Bliss!

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel [formerly the Oriental], Bangkok, Thailand – An obvious choice, I know, but it is amazing with gorgeous French and riverside restaurants. I love being pampered and took full advantage of the facilities. Service is impeccable.

The Park Hotel, Kenmare, Ireland – On the ring of Kerry and steeped in near-prehistorically calm countryside. This is an expertly run hotel with a terrific restaurant. It is in a stunning location and if you can’t relax here you need a shrink or a few glasses of Paddy!

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

Eating Marco Pierre White’s food at his first venture called Harvey’s in Wandsworth, London. Powerful, sexy, imaginative brilliance. His signature dish was a Stuffed Pig’s Trotter. Wow! The Guvnor. I was very touched at the kind words he said about Keith Floyd after Floyd’s death last year. I am a huge fan of Floyd.

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

Yes, lots. I was a professional musician for 20 years prior to coming into this industry so met a plethora of stars: Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Sir Bob Geldof (who was my neighbour in London), Ozzy Osbourne, Annie Lennox, Nigel Kennedy, Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Elton John. Sounds like I won’t meet anyone who isn’t titled!

As a restaurant manager I served Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Sir David Frost (there I go again!), Lord and Lady Gilmour, Diana Princess of Wales, The Duchess of York, Nigella Lawson, The Spice Girls, Lord Pinter, Lord Webber, Michael Gove MP, The Monty Python team, Alan Parker and Delia Smith.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?

I have a great yearning to visit India and Nepal. This will take up a lot of my time to do comprehensively and time is something I don’t have at the moment, as I’m running a new business with a view to expansion. But, the dream is there and once Albion has washed its face(s), Colin and I can pack our bags and head for the airport. My previous employer, Camellia Panjabi, was Marketing Director of Taj Hotels and she would love to be our guide in India!

Many thanks, James, for so generously giving us your time when we visited Albion restaurant recently. We wish you every success with your new venture, and have no doubt that once the word spreads Albion is going to be well known as the top destination restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Tailormade tours of India from Dominion Travel
• For your luxe travel needs: Elite Destinations Direct
• Save on theme parks with Orlando Attractions
• Check out Suite 116 at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

A true travel connoisseur, CEO and Founder Drew Patterson brings more than a decade of experience to Jetsetter, the private sales site that helps leisure travellers discover and purchase some of the world’s best vacations.

An industry pioneer, Patterson was part of the founding team at Kayak.com where, during his five-year tenure as Vice President of Marketing, he played an integral role in reshaping the online travel landscape by evolving the distribution model and initializing the concept of “search”.  Prior to that, Patterson cut his teeth as Director of Distribution and Revenue Management at Starwood Hotels, where he forged new distribution channels with online travel agents, including Expedia and Travelocity.

Patterson received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University before earning his Masters in Business from Columbia Business School.  He resides in New York City.

What is it that you do exactly?

No two days are the same for me. I might start the day building partnerships with suppliers on the inventory side or marketing partners that might get Jetsetter in front of new customers on the audience side. Then, I might have a meeting with our engineering team to talk about new functionality or the marketing team to talk about new products. Jetsetter is growing fast, so I spend a lot of time these days reviewing resumes. In my downtime, I surf the web to see what competitors are doing, what the media is saying about the travel space, and what consumers are talking about in Twitter or Facebook. Finally, I pour over the numbers, making sure the business is on track to beat expectations and communicate progress to our investors.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I really love working with the team I’ve built here at Jetsetter. We have a really smart, experienced, hard working team. But, I also look for people with personality and we spend a lot of time laughing which is what makes me excited to go to work each day.

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

Casas Brancas, Búzios, Brazil: There is just something magical about Buzios which is a very relaxed and charming destination. Casas Brancas is more than just a beautiful boutique hotel. The people who run the hotel are incredibly warm and hospitable.

The Hotel Gritti Palace encompasses charm and history along the Grand Canal in Venice. I was traveling with a group of friends for art opening and the stars just aligned to create a memorable vacation: great friends, fantastic dinners, spectacular art, no crowds. Perfetto!

After several weeks traveling through India, The Westin Singapore was exactly what the doctor ordered. I can still remember how good it felt to take a hot shower; sleep in a big, comfy bed; and eat a Western-style breakfast.

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

My brother’s friend interned at Per Se, arguably the best restaurant in the US. As a thank you from the restaurant, he was invited to bring friends for a complimentary dinner. This was more than a dinner, it was a six-hour tour through the most amazing ingredients and flavors I’ve ever experienced or will ever experience. In addition to the usual tasting menu, the kitchen prepared about 18 other courses. Food was ethereal. Service unimaginable.

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

I am not the guy who notices celebrities. But, I was in LA and checked into celeb magnet Chateau Marmont alongside Jarvier Bardem (before he started dating Penelope Cruz unfortunately). We went to dinner at Nobu that night and were seated next to Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

I would like to go to Alaska before it melts.

Thank you, Drew.  That’s been a great insight. And even if you read the most pessimistic reports, I think you’ll find you’ve still got ample time to ’see Alaska before it melts’.  Afterall, it is home to more than half the world’s glaciers.

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

Relais & Châteaux has announced its official India launch at a press briefing.  Three new Indian properties – Sher Bagh in Ranthambore (Rajasthan), The Serai in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) and Neeleshwar Hermitage in Malabar Coast (Kerala) were accepted as members of the association, in addition to Malabar House (Fort Cochin) and Mahua Kothi (Bandhavgarh Park), already members since 2008.

Sher Bagh is a classic 1920 “Raj” style luxury tented camp and offers the perfect retreat to those looking for the authentic Indian ‘Safari Experience’, in Ranthambhore, which is probably the finest place in the world to see wild tigers.

The Serai, Jaisalmer is a luxury desert camp and spa set in a hundred-acre estate of indigenous desert scrub; it is a luxurious base from which to explore the medieval desert Kingdom of Jaisalmer- the property takes inspiration from a royal caravan serai.

Neeleshwar Hermitage is the first boutique hotel on the beautiful unspoiled coast of Malabar. It is an oasis of eco-friendly practice and a refuge for the soul: The Hermitage offers a large variety of ayurvedic and spa treatments, as well as yoga and meditation.

New Delhi’s newest five-star hotel is rising on three acres of prime land in India’s capital. Just in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts will welcome its newest luxury property in a convenient location at the cover of Africa Avenue and Vinay Marg in Chanakyapuri, the Central Business District and the city’s diplomatic enclave.

The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi will have 260 rooms and suites, five restaurants, two bars, a spa by ESPA, a fitness center and a swimming pool on its roof terrace. An outpost of MEGU, the Japanese restaurant, will open at The Leela along with an intimate Indian restaurant, another featuring Italian cuisine with an open kitchen and an all-day dining restaurant also with a “live” kitchen.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is opening The Westin Pune Koregaon Park – the first of six new Westin Hotels to open in India over the next three years and the brand’s 25th hotel in Asia Pacific. The hotel is illustrative of Starwood’s overall growth in India with plans to grow its footprint by 60% by 2012.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened its 150th hotel in Asia Pacific – the ITC Royal Gardenia, a Luxury Collection hotel in Bengaluru, India. The opening of the 292-room hotel underscores Starwood’s long-term strategic growth plans in Asia Pacific, where it has executed 23 new deals in 2009 – seven hotels have been opened prior to the opening of ITC Royal Gardenia and another seven hotels are slated to open by the end of this year.

Within China, Starwood is set to double its current footprint to 100 hotels by 2012.

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.

Rambagh Palace, Jaipur has been voted the Best Hotel in the World by Conde Nast Traveller in the Readers Travel Awards for 2009 across travel and industry categories, in the World Top 100.

This former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur also tops the list of ‘Overseas Leisure Hotels for Asia and the Indian sub-continent’. Scoring an overall 95.62, Rambagh Palace has the ‘best ambience/decor’ (98.12) and ‘location’ (96.5) of all hotels in the category.

The Preferred Hotel Group will welcome 13 new members to its portfolio next month, from the stunning Natal Ocean Club on the picturesque coast of Cabo Sao Roque in Brazil, due to open early 2010, to the majestic Leela Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur.  In Barcelona, Casanova by Rafael Hotels has been inspired by the city’s Gaudi architecture, formerly an 18th Century limestone residence, it is now a chic haven for those looking for elegant accommodation in this cosmopolitan city.  For something further afield, Legends Resort Villas Moorea in French Polynesia has just joined Preferred Boutique – spread across 17 breathtaking acres, the 46 villas, with private decking and Jacuzzi pool, offer guests a slice of paradise. Or for the ultimate in glitz and glamour head to Hotel Zaza Houston in Texas where you’ll be welcomed by delightfully indulgent surroundings and hi style creature comforts.

Are you someone who likes to take risks? You could brave the elements and scale Mount Everest. You could jump out of a plane with nothing but a nylon parachute and a prayer. Or, you could make the pilgrimage to India and order Fugu, the Japanese puffer fish so toxic it causes up to 50 deaths per year. Eat it anywhere but a licensed restaurant and you could face an untimely demise.

India, did I say?  Yes! This is a dish that is no longer served exclusively in Japan. It’s now available at the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai’s San-Qi Restaurant, the first and only restaurant in India with a Fugu-certified chef. Chef Kato Toshikazu first tasted Fugu at the age of 18, when he started working in the kitchen at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo. After years and many hours of practice, he’s now licensed to thrill San-Qi diners who want to try the famous fish. And many do — the hotel imports two orders of Fugu from Japan a month!

Guests on The Golden Chariot will be forgiven for wondering what year it is.  For ancient and opulent Karnataka is alive and well when you travel on this luxury train. It threads its way through majestic landscapes in South India to destinations that have remained still in time. Magnificent landmarks that hold treasures reflecting the wealth of their aristocratic owners speak of centuries past. The Golden Chariot is the preferred address of modern day maharajahs fond of absorbing the finest wines as well as the legends of Karnataka.

andBEYOND (formerly CC Africa) has opened its third jungle safari lodge India and welcomed its first guests last December. Pashan Garh Panna Wilderness Lodge features just 12 luxurious stone cottages and is situated a mere 50km from the renowned temples of Khajuraho – a World Heritage Site featuring erotic sculpture dating back 1,000 years.

Pashan Garh, meaning ’stone house’, draws its inspiration from the dry-packed stone houses of north-central India.  It is located just 12km from Panna National Park’s entrance and is surrounded by 190 acres of private jungle wiliderness.  The stone cottages are set on the top of a small hill, with magnificent views over the forest and a large nearby waterhole, which has been host to numerous tiger and resident antelope sightings.

The overall design of the lodge is stony and rough hewn, with white marble, leather furniture, and ebony with chocolate highlights. Guest areas include a spacial central courtyard and interiors are a contemporary mix of chocolate linens, block-printed black silks, celadon cottons and cotton lace chandeliers.

Guests can reach Pashan Garh by flying from Delhi to Khajuraho with Jet Airways, which is then followed by a one-hour chauffeured journey by road, before being met by a warm welcome and introduced to your butler for the duration of your stay.