A Luxury Travel Blog

Take a look at this fantastic 14-day luxury cruise with Holland America’s MS Volendam, exploring over thirty centuries of history and culture in the exotic lands of China and Vietnam.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

• Resort and spa management from Six Senses
• One of Dublin’s best sleeps: The Shelbourne
• Dazzling silks from Bao Khanh Silk, Vietnam
• One of Asia’s finest resorts: Laguna Phuket

An all-villa luxury boutique resort called The Princess d’Annam Resort and Spa has been launched Ke Ga, close to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, two months later than previously planned. The 57-villa and two-bedroom beachfront home resort is to offer four swimming pools and 21 plunge pools, along with a five-star restaurant fusing Vietnamese and French cuisine. A special feature is the Princess Spa, which has separate wings for men and women.

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!

IHG has signed an agreement to manage a new Crowne Plaza in Nha Trang, the Vietnamese coastal city which will host Miss Universe 2008. Crowne Plaza Nha Trang will have 305 rooms and suites, and 113 serviced residences, and will feature contemporary tropical design by renowned Singapore-based architect Tan Hock Beng. It is scheduled to open in early 2010. The hotel will be situated along the renowned Tran Phu Boulevard and will offer direct access to one of Vietnam’s most popular city beaches. Recreational facilities will include an elevated pool deck with ocean views, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga area and a Tea Tree Spa.

Philanthropist Agnes Gund, Nike designer John Hoke, accessory designer of the year Richard Lambertson, Neue Galerie New York director Renée Price, fashion designer Yeohlee Teng , and architects Hani Rashid and David Rockwell (phew!) have joined forces to select the winners of the T+L Design Awards 2008.  Awards span 15 categories and include The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam (Best Resort) designed by Jaya Ibrahim, Town House Galleria in Milan, Italy (Best Small Hotel) designed by Ettore Mocchetti, The New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC (Best Museum) designed by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa/Sanaa, and Katsuya Hollywood in Los Angeles (Best Restaurant) designed by Philippe Starck. For the full list of winners and commendations, see the T+L slideshow.

The Sofitel Metropole Hanoi has been voted the city’s best business hotel in 2007 by the readers of the Business Traveller Asia Pacific magazine. Each year readers selected the premium hotel of each city in Asia, and base their votes on criteria such as location, room facilities, customer service, food and drink, and technology. The hotel has also been designated as one of the ‘500 Greatest Hotels in the World’ and ‘Best 50 Hotels in Asia’ according to the criteria of Travel+Leisure magazine.

Middle Eastern companies from Saudia Arabia and UAE are said to be investing in Vietnam’s luxury hotel sector. Saudi’s Jehan Holding Group is expected to invest US$1 billion in a high-end resort in Da Lat, whilst Dubai’s Kingdom Hotels Investments has made an agreement with the central Da Nang government to develop a $60-million resort in My Khe.

Suite name: Presidential Villa
Resort: Evason Hideaway & Six Senses Spa at Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, Vietnam
Size of accommodation: 271 sq m
Cost per night: 36,000,000 VND (approx. $2183)
Who’s stayed there? A Duke from the UK
What makes it special? Housed in individual pavilions is the living area with en suite bathroom, a dining sala, the Spa treatment room and the master bedroom adjacent to an en suite bathroom offering handmade bathtub and steam shower.

Built at the waters edge on the rock formations of a private bay, this stunning cluster of Pavilions face west to the setting sun and represent the last frontier in pampered luxury. Your privacy is assured as access to the Villa is via a series of wooden walkways set into the mountainside, a scenically breathtaking twenty minute walk from our main restaurant and bar. This area is only accessible to the presidential villa residents. Beside the in-Villa spa treatment room, the private infinity plunge pool blends naturally with the horizon and surrounding boulders.

Housed in individual pavilions is the living area with en-suite bathroom, a dining sala, the Spa treatment room and the master bedroom adjacent to an en-suite bathroom offering handmade bathtub and steam shower. A dedicated butler is on call 24 hours a day to cater to your every need, residing in the adjoining butler unit. 

Located at the base of legendary Ba Vi Mountain, and just 50 km from the capital city of Hanoi, Tan Da Spa Resort is a hidden gem among Vietnam’s luxury resorts.

Anantara Resorts appears to be expanding rapidly.  New resorts for Dubai, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka are all anticipated in 2008. This will see the number of Anantara Resorts rise from 4 to 11. The unique essence and individual lifestyle of the Anantara brand, as demonstrated by the resorts that already exist in Thailand and the Maldives is clearly something they believe strongly in.

According to a news report from Channel NewsAsia, Banyan Tree Holdings is to build a new luxury resort on a 200-hectare plot in the Thua Thien Hue province of Vietnam. It is estimated that the project will cost $200 million. Another report suggests that the resort will include as many as 2,400 hotel rooms and is part of “an aggressive expansion plan”.

Vietnam’s second Festival Aromes (or Aroma Festival to you and me) will take place at Sofitel Metropole Hanoi from 7th to 10th December 2006. The emphasis of the festival will be on French-influenced Vietnamese cooking and some of the world’s most coveted chefs will be there, including three-Michelin star chef Olivier Roellinger from Les Maison de Bricourt in Cancale, Brittany, France and, of course, the Sofitel Metropole’s own chef consultant Didier Corlou. Special accommodation packages are available at the hotel for those attending the event.

A cellar in Paris or a sky bar in Bangkok? Effortless Mediterranean white or midnight samba in downtown Rio? Guardian deputy travel editor Isabel Choat on her favourite bars of all time.

Those making the shortlist in this Guardian article are:

• Chez Georges, 11 rue des Canettes, 75006, Paris
• Mary McBride’s, 2 Main Street, Cushenden, Northern Ireland
• Vesuvio, 255 Columbus Avenue, North Beach, San Francisco
• OJ’s restaurant and beach bar, Crabb Hill Beach, St John’s, Antigua
• Rooftop bar, Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Du, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Sirocco bar and restaurant, 1055 Silom Road, Bangkok, Thailand
• Puro Beach, 1 Cala Estancia, Palma, Mallorca
• No Shoes Club, Baie de Somme, 22 Allée de la Grève, 80550 le Crotoy, France
• Rio Scenarium, Rua do Lavradio, 20 Centro Antigo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Smoke bar and diner, 14 Trinity Road, SW17, Tooting, London

There are so many wonderful bars out there that I don’t think it’s truly possible to narrow it down to just a ‘top 10′. Be sure to also check out the comments on Guardian Unlimited’s Beenthere site for a wealth of other suggestions such as South bar in Chamonix, France and Bankerat in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Silversea is offering luxury seekers the chance to explore the mystic of the Far East from the private veranda of a six-star ship. From December 2006 through to February 2007, Silver Cloud and Silver Whisper will spoil travellers with eight voyages, ranging from nine to 14 days. The Far East program allows guests to take advantage of two complimentary tours in Vietnam.

Get your hands on a copy of The Six Senses Cookbook. This beautifully illustrated book has been photographed entirely on location at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili in the Maldives, Evason Resorts and Evason Hideaways in Thailand, and at Evason Ana Mandara Resort in Vietnam by the award-winning photographer Jorg Sundermann. The volume includes some wonderful recipes such as herb-crusted Maldivian white tuna and silken tofu and shitake mushrooms with green vegetables.  Hmmmmm….