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.

Qatar Airways, the 5-star airline, offers a private premium terminal for its First and Business class passengers at its hub at Doha International Airport. Qatar Airways’ Premium Terminal offers fine dining with specially selected wines and champagnes, some exclusive to Qatar Airways. Business travelers may utilize free wireless internet as well as meeting rooms that can be used for phone or video conferences, or even a simple face-to-face meeting. The center is staffed 24 hours a day with staff ready to provide assistance.

The Premium Terminal offers an extensive duty free shop featuring everything from electronics and clothing to fragrances and spirits. A multi-lingual staff is available to help you find that perfect gift for someone at home…or something for yourself. As long as you’re taking care of yourself, the Premium Terminal Spa offers full facilities to indulge prior to or between your Qatar Airways flights. The spa offers facials, massages and other treatments provided by professionals. If those aren’t for you, perhaps a Jacuzzi is just the way to unwind before your flight.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts‘ first hotel in Turkey, the Shangri-La Hotel, Istanbul is set to open in April 2012. The hotel will be located between the Dolmabahce and the Maritime Museum on the European coast of the Bosphorus Straits, the 30km stretch of water separating Europe and Asia. Set within the Besiktas district, the shopping and transport hub of Istanbul, the hotel will be near the city’s financial district and the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is home to many historical and cultural sites including: the Istanbul Concert Hall, the Ataturk Culture Centre, the newly restored Akaretler complex of neoclassical buildings, palaces from the Ottoman Empire period, and several theaters.

The hotel will be a five-minute walk from the Dolmabahce Palace, the former center of the Ottoman Empire and home to six sultans, which is now a national heritage museum. Also within easy reach is the Nisantasi neighborhood known for its restaurants, cafes and bars and the prestigious Macka luxury shopping area. Guests will be able to reach Sultanahmet, the historic centre of the city that lies across the Golden Horn, within 15 minutes by public transport.

The first Capella property in Asia, Capella Singapore has set a new benchmark for personalised service in a region already known for its outstanding service standards. Personal assistants, a Capella hallmark, are well equipped to facilitate individual needs – from planning a culinary tour of Singapore specialties, to booking a corporate meeting, to arranging a romantic dinner, deep sea fishing or even a private jet.

Capella Singapore is situated just ten minutes from the city state’s bustling business and shopping district; however, once within the 30 acres of lush greenery, guests are instantly captivated by the serenity and discreet splendour of the resort.

The Auriga spa will relax and rejuvenate. It offers four signature treatments, each based on a corresponding lunar phase. Within the 12,000 square foot area, you can choose from among nine treatment rooms, including three suites with shower and bath, separate steam shower and dressing area.

All-day dining is available at The Knolls, serving a blend of international, regional and Singaporean cuisine. For a relaxing and invigorating Afternoon Tea, the restaurant also has a broad range of almost 100 varieties of Japanese, British and Indian teas. Guests can also opt for a fine-dining experience at the contemporary Cantonese restaurant – Cassia.

Further resort facilities include three cascading pools, a fitness centre with state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym® and limousine services with the distinctive in-house Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Daily rates are upwards of S$1250 for villas and S$800 for guestrooms.

The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport, a sophisticated, new-build hotel in Richmond, B.C. is now open. Ideally situated less than 4 km from Vancouver International Airport, it is also within a five minute walk of the Yaohan Centre and a 20 minute Skytrain ride to downtown Vancouver. Minutes from downtown Richmond, the new hotel also offers easy access to the Aberdeen Centre, River Rock Casino and Royal Canadian College as well as the nearby Richmond Olympic Oval.

Its 176 guest rooms and eight unique suites all feature the iconic Westin Heavenly Bed and a 32 inch High Definition flatscreen TV. In addition, in-room, high-speed Internet access, dual line cordless telephones and an ergonomic work space offer business travellers convenience and productivity in an ultra-comfortable setting.

Additional amenities include an indoor heated pool, 24-hour business centre, a gym, valet parking and The Apron, offering guests contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine in the dining room or intimate lounge.

In October we had the pleasure of staying at the Blue Palace Resort & Spa near Elounda on the Greek island of Crete. Since we arrived quite late in the evening, it wasn’t until morning that we could appreciate the full beauty of the resort’s position with its stunning view of the island of Spinalonga, with its rich and varied history.

The hotel, a member of The Luxury Collection fromStarwood Hotels & Resorts, is perfectly situated close to the small seaside village of Plaka. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this was going to be a wonderful place to relax. We occupied two interconnecting rooms; spacious and ideal for families with young children.

Both rooms came with balconies that provided us with a good overview of the resort, as did the rather handy resort map provided.  Blue Palace has its own stretch of private beach, numerous pools, its own watersports centre, conference facilities, a small boutique, tennis courts, a helipad and even a private chapel.

There are also multiple restaurants and bars here, including the traditional Blue Door restaurant. Close to the waters edge and enjoying a gentle sea breeze, Blue Door adopts the style of a typical Greek taverna its brightly painted tables and chairs overlooking a spectacular beachfront location.  It offered a themed fish night every Friday.

We primarily dined at the Isola Italian Restaurant and Olea (where breakfast is also served), but there are plenty of options including L’Orangerie, a two-time recipient of the Golden Toque Award (given to the best restaurants in Greece).  At Olea, you can experience a Greek night (Thursdays) and savour an authentic Greek dining experience.

At the heart of Blue Palace is The Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy offering signature treatments, massages, facials and body wraps, with a swimming pool, saunas, Jacuzzis, steam baths, a hair salon and a well-equipped fitness centre.  Its received many prestigious awards including the Spa Finder Readers’ Award 2007 for The Best Spa in Greece.

For children there is ample to enjoy. The resort has its own kids club and a playground area where the little ones can enjoy everything from swings to climbing olive trees.  There’s also table tennis and of course the beach and the swimming pools which are two boys thoroughly enjoyed.  It’s worth noting that a kids’ menu was available in all the restaurants, so they are made to feel welcome throughout the resort.

In conclusion, nothing was too much trouble for the staff at Blue Palace and this is what sets it apart from many other places. With their Ultimate Guest Service, you can request whatever you want, be it a bath with candles, Champagne and strawberries, or a helicopter ride to Santorini.  When staff are eager to fulfil any and every request their guests throw at them, you know you are staying somewhere special.

The Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore has completed its multimillion-dollar renovation and unveiled the Westshore district’s “newest” property. The 261-suite hotel has seen a facelift that has touched virtually every aspect of the hotel, including all of the two-room suites; the eight-story tropical atrium; the innovative, modern business lounge; the 12,000+ square feet of meeting space (including a 2,000 square foot expansion); the St. James Grill Restaurant and Bar; and the fitness centre and pool area. It also added such signature Sheraton amenities as the Sweet Sleeper Bed, the ‘Link @ Sheraton’ lobby, flat-panel HD televisions and hardwood flooring on select floors.

Construction is under way on Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel in the Middle East: Swissôtel Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The international hotel chain expects the hotel to open in January 2011.

The new Swissôtel Makkah is going to have 1571 guest rooms, including 88 suites, spread over 53 floors, with half of all the rooms and suites enjoying a view of the Holy Mosque. The centrally located hotel will have four restaurants serving authentic Arabic and European cuisine, an Executive Lounge, two meeting rooms measuring 75m² and a Business Centre available to guests.

This year, Rio de Janeiro was named the happiest city in the world, according to a Forbes Magazine which surveyed 10,000 people throughout twenty countries. It also received the title of the most courteous city in the world, according to the Universities of Michigan and California. And one of the city’s major tourist attractions, Christ the Redeemer, was elected one of the new Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 2008.

And if that wasn’t already enough, it’s just recently received the news that it’s to be the host city for the 2016 Olympics. The increase in foreign tourists to Brazil in 2016 is already projected to be 10-15% greater than the previous year (2015). In previous years, investments and works generated in Olympic host cities have boosted tourism, especially in regards to business travellers. Watch this space for future developments…!

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.

St. Maarten’s Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino has been honoured with its third consecutive Incentive Magazine Platinum Partner Award for outstanding meetings services. The award has become the benchmark of achievement in the areas of motivation, corporate gifting and incentive travel for the past 17 years.

With more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino has earned its reputation as one of St. Maarten’s premier resorts for meetings and social events. A medley of options and unique settings are available for corporate meetings, incentive group activities, receptions and dinners. For after-work hours, the Maho Promenade features over 40 shops, restaurants, nightclub, and a world-class casino.

Chateau On The Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Missouri is offering unique incentives for group bookings.  The AAA Four-Diamond resort, which sits on an Ozark mountaintop overlooking Branson, is offering many enticing incentives for groups booking and holding a new program by 1st May 2010. The 301-room resort boasts one of Missouri’s largest convention centres, with 43,500 square feet of flexible meeting space, and the ability to host groups of 10 to 3,000.

The resort’s new “Value Meeting Package” provides a tremendous value to groups with savings of $200 per attendee per day, with a room rate of $129 per room, per night, plus: the choice of a free break, wine & cheese reception, or continental breakfast; a free Spa Access Pass for attendees; a free meeting room; three free VIP amenities; one free VIP upgrade to a suite at the group rate; free high-speed internet access in the guest rooms of all attendees; free garage parking for all attendees; and free use of paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes (seasonally) at the resort’s marina.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opened Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo today – its third property in the Zhejiang province after Shangri-La Hotel, Hangzhou and Shangri-La Hotel, Wenzhou – to complement its current portfolio of 27 mainland China hotels.

Long known as a major trading and shipping hub, Ningbo is situated across the Hangzhou Bay from Shanghai. It is one of China’s oldest cities, steeped in history and boasts a number of cultural relics. In modern times, Ningbo has become a major exporter of consumer and electrical products, textiles, food and industrial tools, and is one of China’s busiest port cities.

Ningbo is a two-hour drive from Shanghai via the Hangzhou Bay Bridge and a two-hour flight from Hong Kong. The 563-room Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo is located in the heart of the central business district, at the confluence of the Fenghua, Yuyao and Yong Rivers. As the city’s latest luxury hotel, it is a 20-minute drive from the airport and within walking distance of Ningbo’s largest shopping area, Tianyi Square, and major tourist attractions.

The iconic Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island will open its doors shortly. The 428-room contemporary hotel is located along the new Links Championship Golf Course and is within five minutes walking distance of the latest Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit.

This latest addition to IHG’s Crowne Plaza estate is situated on one of the country’s most exciting developments, Yas Island. The hotel’s close proximity to the airport and 35 minute drive from Abu Dhabi City Centre makes this a prime location for both business & leisure travellers alike.

All guest rooms and suites are stylishly decorated and include free wireless internet access, with a spacious working area.  The hotel’s leisure facilities include a part-shaded 25 metre outdoor pool and state-of-the art gym complete with sauna, steam rooms and squash court.  For the discerning business traveller Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island has everything you need to make your trip hassle free. It has a 24 hour Business Centre, 10 meeting rooms that cater for up to 600 people featuring the latest audio-visual equipment complete with natural lighting and outdoor terraces.

The all-day dining restaurant, Jing Asia offers a mouth watering array of local and international cuisine. Guests can savour Europe at its best in the unique Stills brasserie or enjoy more regional flavours in the beautiful Lebanese restaurant, Barouk. Views, the relaxing lobby lounge offers stunning views of the golf course and mangroves, our chic wine bar, Vino, serves a wide variety of beverages and the chilled out Sundowner pool bar is the perfect place to unwind while watching the sun set. All dining options feature outdoor terrace seating to be taken advantage of during the cooler times of the year.

It’s probably fair to say that good quality internet access is nowadays widely considered as an absolute necessity rather than just a luxury. And so it’s interesting to learn that Trump International has chosen Ruckus Wireless to supply advanced Smart Wi-Fi products and technology for the four-star Trump International Beach Resort, a contemporary oceanfront resort located in Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, Florida. The new technology takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in Wi-Fi development, pioneered by Ruckus Wireless, that constantly form and route Wi-Fi transmissions only where they are needed over the best performing signal paths to deliver more consistent performance at range. The new Wi-Fi infrastructure covers the entire multi-acre property, including over 500,000 square feet of hotel space with 390 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of conference space as well as beachfront, administrative offices, restaurants, retail shops, bar/lounge areas, lobby, pools and parking structures.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is set to open its first hotel in Russia in 2012. It will be a 400-room hotel occupying the top floors of a 42-storey building in Moscow’s Park Huaming Business Centre in Moscow – a new major multi-purpose development. Next to the Russian Botanic Garden, Northeast District, on Vilgelma Pika Street, the hotel will be only 10 kilometres from Red Square and 25 kilometres from the international airport.

Guestrooms will have a minimum size of 40 square metres and each room will have a view of the Chinese landscapes at the Park Huaming Business Centre or views of the Russian Botanic Garden. The hotel will also have a Chinese and Russian restaurant, an indoor swimming pool and health club, a 1,200-square-metre grand ballroom, a 700-square-metre auditorium and a wide range of function rooms suited for events of all sizes.