Located on Al Muntazah Beach in the north of the emirate, Sheraton Sharjah will offer 343 ocean front rooms including 48 suites. The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a seafood restaurant, a Persian speciality restaurant, and a pool/beach grill on a private beach. The hotel’s business facilities include a suite of six meeting rooms, and two ballrooms, one of which at 850 square metres will be the largest hotel ballroom in the emirate. The hotel will also feature Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft, a unique communications hub delivering the technology modern guests expect and require while on the road.

Just 10 kilometres from Sharjah International Airport and 15 kilometres from Dubai International Airport, the resort will play a key role in increasing business travel in the emirate in addition to attracting regional and international tourists tempted by the beachfront location and a 950 square metre spa.

The new Sheraton Sharjah Hotel & Resort, UAE is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Arriving on the Friday evening, access couldn’t have been simpler through an electronic keypad for which we had been provided a unique code.  Once inside, you could instantly see that no expense has been spared in achieving the finished result, and that the apartment had been finished by someone with a true eye for flair and design.

Ours was a two-bedroomed apartment, both rooms en suite; the master bedroom also had a writing desk from which you could work if staying on business. Mood lighting, rain showers, extra comfy beds, an open plan living room and kitchen, free broadband WiFi, flatscreen TV, iPod dock and games console all add to the amenities.  We even had a fabulous breakfast delivered each morning, complete with croissants, yoghurts, muffins and pains au chocolat.

Although the apartment comes with a fully equipped kitchen, you also have the option of wandering into town and choosing from Harrogate’s many restaurants. We opted to go to Brio’s Italian restaurant on the Saturday evening, one of the places recommended in the information provided, and enjoyed a good meal in a relaxed setting. Brio’s happens to be on the ground floor of Kings House so, if you’re staying there, you can even order your meal via room service.

It should also be noted that Harrogate is a great location.  On the Saturday, we took the children to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where they enjoyed a return steam train journey from Pickering to Goathland (Heartbeat country).  And on the Sunday, after a bit of retail therapy in Harrogate itself, we stopped off at the impressive Brimham Rocks en route back home.

Serviced apartments such as those offered by The Lawrance have been growing in popularity for some time now and, with offerings such as these, you can see why.  You get all the benefits of self-catering accommodation, such as privacy and space, and the services that you might expect from a hotel, all rolled into one.  A thoroughly recommended stay – I suggest you definitely look them up if you’re ever in Harrogate on business, or indeed if you’re looking for a weekend treat.

Special feature: The Lawrance, Harrogate, UK is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Expansion of The Rocco Forte Collection is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Qatar Airways Premium Terminal is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Scheduled for 2012: Shangri-La Hotel, Istanbul is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

A Capella first in Asia: Capella Singapore is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Open for Winter Games: The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Special feature: Blue Palace Resort & Spa, Crete is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Multimillion-dollar renovation completed at Tampa hotel is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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 75m ² and a Business Centre available to guests.

Swissôtel to debut in the Middle East is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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…!

Rio – happiest city in the world… and with good reason! is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts ventures into India is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

The award-winning Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Group incentives at Chateau On The Lake Resort, Branson, Missouri is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Shangri-La opens its 28th hotel in China is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island to open soon is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Smarter Wi-Fi at the Trump International Beach Resort in Miami is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ first hotel in Russia is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

More Moroccan-bound luxury: the Radisson Blu Hotel Marrakech is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

This new  establishment is at the Del Centro Empresarial Forum Dos, the city’s latest and most prominent commercial office development, which provides business and leisure travellers easy access to shopping, coffee houses, and gourmet restaurants. In addition, the three-story boutique hotel is just 15 minutes from the Juan Santamaria Airport and adjacent to a major thoroughfare that connects to Escazu, the prominent residential and business district of the city.

First Hotel Indigo in Central America opens in San Jose, Costa Rica is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog