A Luxury Travel Blog

Longer, sunnier days and blissfully emptier slopes are no longer the only reasons to ski in March. Book a week in a selected chalet in one of the ‘big five’ ski resorts of Val d’Isere, Courchevel, Verbier, Meribel and St Anton through the independent ski holiday provider Powder White and you’ll receive a free iPad 2 (16GB/Wi-Fi version). Keen skiers can use their new toy to download Powder White’s favourite ski Apps to help make the most of their holiday including: Ski Tracks, which allows skiers to track their day; Mammut Safety App, a clinometre, compass and alitmetre all in one, which assesses the local avalanche risk; and Ski Challenge, a simple, fun but highly addictive game.

Sample package

Chalet Orchidee, Courchevel 1850 (Sleeps 8/10) – a picture-perfect freestanding Alpine chalet with roaring fires and hammam make this chic chalet perfect for sojourning skiers. Book Chalet Orchidee for an eight-person stay for £5,592 (£699pp) on a fully catered basis, arriving on 17th March 2012, and receive a free iPad 2 (16GB/Wi-Fi version). Offer valid on whole chalet bookings.

All Powder White chalets include flat screen TV and DVD and laptop with Wi-Fi. Fully catered chalet board includes Champagne and canapés on arrival, cooked breakfast, afternoon tea, canapés with wine, three-course dinner with wine. Powder White has an ATOL licence and can arrange travel and transfers upon request.

This Autumn the Ragosta Hotels Collection properties on the Amalifi Coast and in Sicily are offering great discounted off-season rates at up to 50% off the standard rack rates. Autumn is a great time to travel to Italy because it allows for a more authentic and less-touristy experience, cooler but still temperate weather, and high low-season savings.

The exclusive Ragosta Hotels Collection properties (all 5-star) include the Hotel Raito, on the Amalfi Coast, Relais Paradiso, named one of Departures Magazine’s 10 Most Exclusive Amalfi Coast Hotels, and La Plage Resort in Taormina, Sicily. Low season rates range from €150 to €270  per room, per night. Below you will find all standard room rates for this Autumn:

Hotel Raito: Standard Rooms from €150 to €240 per room, per night (normally €290)
Relais Paradiso: Superior Rooms €250 per room, per night (normally €500)
La Plage Resort: Bungalow Garden View Rooms from €250 to €270 per room, per night (normally €380)

Between now and the end of May, visitors to London Mayfair’s boutique 47 Park Street hotel and private Members’ club get two nights’ stay at a reduced rate plus a free bottle of Champagne and specially designed cupcakes.

The five-star 47 Park Street, Grand Residences by Marriott is offering visitors to London the special opportunity to spend two nights in a one-bedroom residence for the discounted rate of £339.00 (ex VAT) per night, between now and 31st May 2011. Guests will receive a bottle of Bouché Père & Fils champagne and Union Jack-decorated cupcakes, prepared by its in-house chef Jean-Louis Alexandre.

47 Park Street is Mayfair’s discreet boutique five-star hotel and private Members’ club, offering all the services and standards one would expect coupled with the ambience and comforts of a private home. Each residence is in fact an apartment with sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, fully appointed with the accoutrements of a leading hotel. 47 Park Street’s 24-hour concierge has unrivalled local knowledge, and guests can also make use of 47 Park Street’s partnerships including leading day spa, Spa Illuminata.

When you stay two nights at the Borgo Santo Pietro, you will receive the third night free. Borgo Santo Pietro is 45 minutes from Sienna and 1 hour from Florence. This 11-room Borgo was built in 1229 and beautifully renovated by Claus and Jeanette Thottrup, a Danish couple, who previously resided in London. The Borgo has added a wine tasting room which will feature daily wine tasting sessions with the hotel’s sommelier along with a chef’s table which overlooks the kitchen.

The package includes:

Accommodation
A bottle of spumante, fresh fruit and flowers in the room upon arrival
Homemade continental and cooked breakfast daily
Freshly squeezed juice all day from fruit and vegetable juice bar
Use of hot tub, tennis, basketball and badminton court, table tennis, mountain bikes, hiking boots, archery and trampoline
All taxes

Prices start at Euro 355 (US $488) per night to Euro 1760 (US $2480). Promotion valid throughout April 2011.

Add a slice of adventure to your life with an adrenaline-filled short break at the luxurious five-star Castlemartyr Resort in County Cork, Ireland. Stay for two nights in a deluxe room, including breakfast both mornings, and experience the beautiful coastline and surrounding countryside of East Cork from a different perspective by taking part in an exciting outdoor pursuit.

Pick from five thrilling activities – rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, body boarding or Thundercat powerboating – and whether it’s your first time or you’re a regular adventurer, you will be looked after by local experts to ensure you have the time of your life.

Before you leave for the morning’s adventure, pick up your packed lunch carefully prepared by the chefs at Castlemartyr Resort. Then after hours of thrills return to the hotel and enjoy a muscle-easing spa treatment at a special discounted rate*, followed by unlimited access to the health and wellbeing centre, where you can you can unwind in the steam room, sauna or ozone-treated pool.

End the day with an exquisite meal for two in the Clubhouse where you’ll enjoy locally sourced produce, served in a warm, welcoming environment.

Enjoy two nights in a deluxe room including breakfast both mornings, packed lunch, a half-day activity with Ardmore Adventure and dinner for two in the Clubhouse from just €600 based on two sharing (€650 at weekends).

An enchanting island, offering the utmost in privacy, Peter Island is a hidden gem with all the natural beauty and peace of a far-flung Caribbean dream getaway. The resort’s secluded charm can mean it takes a little longer to get to and with this in mind Peter Island is offering guests their first night complimentary! What’s more, guests can unwind and ease into their holiday safe in the knowledge that having booked on a Room Only basis they’re getting breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner absolutely free for the duration of their stay. Can there be any better way to start a well earned break?!

Peter Island Resort & Spa offers the complimentary night offer for all stays that are five nights or over. Book by 15th March 2011 for travel until 19th December 2011 on a Complimentary Full Board Basis. This offer is not combinable with any other offer.

Five nights at Peter Island start from £1,085 including tax in an Ocean View Room on a full board basis; saving £1,151 – better than half price!

This year, tennis legends Tim Henman and Pete Sampras are joining the BNP Paribas Zurich Open for the first time. Their inclusion makes the Open one of the top fields on the ATP Champions Tour as they play alongside the likes of John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Goran Ivanisevic and Henri Leconte, all hitting Zurich next week to battle it out for the coveted title.

As the Zurich Open’s official hotel partner this year, holding parties throughout and hosting the tournament’s international players, The Dolder Grand is offering tennis fans and sybarites alike the chance to get within a racket’s length of the action at Zurich’s sporting event of 2011.  Located between Zurich and the scenic forest, The Dolder Grand enjoys beautiful views of the city and the Alps. This is a fantastic environment for those searching for pleasure, exclusivity and relaxation in an invigorating natural setting.

The Dolder Grand Zurich Open Package is available until the end of the tournament on 12th March 2011, includes one night’s accommodation, a VIP ticket to the BNP Paribas Zurich Open and transfers to the Saalsporthalle venue as well as a snack and glass of Champagne at the its Dolder Grand Champagne bar.

Turkey specialist Exclusive Escapes is opening its Kalkan programme for the Easter holidays, from 16th April 2011, including a range of hi spec private villas with pools and the Kalkan Regency boutique hotel. This news should appeal to hard working singles and parents, since as the Easter weekend is followed by the Royal Wedding and 2nd May Bank Holiday, it’s possible to escape to warmer climes for up to two weeks taking just a handful of days off work.

Those booking their Easter escape now will secure the best deals for the Lycian Coast since, unlike other operators, Exclusive Escapes’ prices rise as departure dates draw nearer. And for those who commit before the end of April, there are a range of luxurious early booking rewards.

Guests can save almost 40% off business class supplements on London Heathrow-Dalaman flights, travelling in style on a BMI aircraft chartered solely for Exclusive Escapes’ guests. Enjoy use of the BMI Lounge and a 1 hour check-in at Heathrow. On arrival in Dalaman, guests are channelled separately through the CIP Terminal and can be en route to their property within 30 minutes of touch-down.

Other early booking rewards include a film-star day at sea on a motor cruiser, passing the sunken ruins at Kekova and stopping off for champagne and a cooling dip in one of the jaw-dropping coves, only accessible by boat. The luxury day’s cruise includes a freshly prepared lunch and costs £80pp (normally £150pp) if booked by the end of April. Traditionalists may prefer a day on a Turkish gulet from just £35pp (normally costs £40pp) – which is complimentary for every hotel guest.

Departing 16th April, Exclusive Escapes offers 7 nights’ B&B in a standard room at the Kalkan Regency from £540pp sharing or 14 nights from £945pp, including return Heathrow-Dalaman flights, transfers, and a days’ gulet cruise. Or treat yourself to a private pool suite which costs from £1050pp for 7 nights on the same basis. Business class flight supplements cost from £400pp.

Shoe shopping, Champagne, an iconic five-star hotel, manicures and pedicures and lunch in one of London’s hottest restaurants. What more can a girl ask for?

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London and Christian Louboutin have joined forces to create the ‘Paint the Town Red’ package – the ultimate treat. Guests will be able to check in to their room at London’s most exclusive address, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in Knightsbridge before a mani/pedi nail paint and polish by the award-winning spa team.

Then it’s a quick taxi ride to Christian Louboutin’s flagship London store on Mayfair’s Mount Street where they will be welcomed into the hidden ‘Library Room’ in the heart of the boutique, designed to be invisible to other shoppers through a series of mirrors and Perspex alcoves. There they will be able to to shop in private for those coveted red heels whilst enjoying a complimentary glass of champagne and treats.

Returning to the hotel, the concierge will be delighted to help with all those Christian Louboutin shopping bags as guests dash to get ready for the evening ahead, beginning with specially-created ‘Paint the Town Red’ cocktails at Mandarin Bar.

The next morning, enjoy a revitalising lunch in the ultra stylish Bar Boulud, London before heading home. Or perhaps a little more shopping in Knightsbridge?

The ‘Paint the Town Red’ package costs from GBP 495 based on two people sharing and includes:

• A Winter Berry, Royal Red or Merlot red nail paint and file for two people
• A private appointment in the private room at Christian Louboutin’s Mount Street store
• Two ‘Paint the Town Red’ cocktails in Mandarin Bar
• A 12pm Brunch at Bar Boulud, London with a bottle of wine, red of course, or two Bloody Marys

Exclusive of VAT and 5% discretionary service charge. The programme is valid until December 2011 and is subject to availability.

A Luxury Travel Blog has teamed up with Hilton Worldwide Hotels to offer you a great chance to win one of two £200 vouchers to be used at any Hilton Worldwide Hotel in the UK. To celebrate the last few weeks of the Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale from the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, all you have to do to win is comment on the posts within this blog. The two readers with the most approved comments over a 10-day period from 21st to 31st January 2011 will each receive the vouchers to spend as they please. (Naturally, comments need to be of a certain quality, otherwise they won’t be approved – and as the judge, I am the decision maker on that front.) So… what are you waiting for? Have a browse of the blog – there’s literally thouands of blog entries for you to comment upon!

If you aren’t lucky enough to win this time, why not take advantage of some great deals? Book before 31 January 2011 to save up to 50% at more than 3,600 hotels from the Hilton Worldwide portfolio including over 230 participating hotels throughout the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Rates include breakfast and late checkout until 6pm (subject to availability).

Take kids under 18 for free, while under-10s eat for free at many of the properties. Go to www.hilton.co.uk/winterdeals for more details.

And click here for voucher terms and conditions.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The prize is for £200 of Hilton Hotels Vouchers to spend at any Hilton Worldwide UK hotel, subject to the following terms and conditions.

Hilton Hotels Voucher Terms and Conditions

For voucher Terms and Conditions please visit http://www.hilton.co.uk/giftvouchers

General Ts & Cs:

The competition winner will receive email confirmation of their prize.

Transfers, food and drink, insurance, personal expenditure and other costs are not included in the prize.

The decision of the judge is final. This prize draw is open to people aged 18 years or over, except employees of A Luxury Travel Blog, their families, agents or anyone else professionally associated with the draw. The winner must take part in any reasonable post-competition publicity. The prize has no cash alternative.

To be notified of other great travel competitions, sign up at Travel Competitions.

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples after 25 years of impeccable service is offering some great Silver Anniversary deals for this holiday season.   Naples is proud to lay home to this Five Star, Five Diamond resort and the Ritz is giving back to its fellow Neapolitans by offering hundreds of dollars in savings off a variety of packages.

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples features fantastic views of the Gulf of Mexico as well as a plethora of other amenities including a world-class spa, high tech entertainment lounge, eight exciting restaurants, and a pool for every member of the family. You can latch down a Coastal View guest room for only $125/night during the holiday season (November 28 through December 22.) Use promo code “RCNRCNA” when booking.

In desperate need of a spa get away? They are also offering a “Silver Spa Celebration” from November 2010 through April 2011 where you can get a 50 minute Ionic Facial for only $150, or a sparkly Silver Express Mani & Pedi for only $75.  Check out the Silver Anniversary press release for more tantalizing spa specials.

The Ritz-Carlton has long been a family name that has served the likes of families to business travelers.  The world class amenities, unprecedented service, and amazing hotel locations are what make the Ritz a world-renowned phenomenon.

Nicole Henderson is a dedicated travel professional writing for the Milwaukee Examiner.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Starwood’s Cyber Monday Sale kicks off on Monday 29th November 2010 and will run for 5 days only, offering special rates at more than 60 of the world’s hottest resorts in premium destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean. As an added incentive, on 29th November only, Starwood will offer additional extraordinary offers at some of Starwood’s most desirable resorts. These offers must be booked by 11:59 pm EST, or while inventory lasts, and represent savings of up to 50% off, with some deals as low as $99 per night.

Guests who are fans of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program on Facebook (Facebook.com/SPG), or who follow SPG on Twitter (@SPGInsider), will have insider access to the sale for six hours before the launch, beginning at 6pm EST on 28th November.

Cyber Monday rates are available for stays between 1st January and 30th April 2011.

Travesse, a new private members-only travel club launching in the UK in November 2010, is seeking to make luxury travel more affordable.  Travesse believes travellers shouldn’t compromise their high standards and claims to offer top of the range luxury hotels, packages and experiences, but at prices that are in tune with today’s climate of cutbacks and austerity. For their launch in November, they have partnered with 4 and 5 star properties in Rome, London and Malta who are offering our members rooms at “2 and 3 star prices”.

Travesse runs ‘flash sales’, meaning deals are available for purchase on the website for a maximum of 7 days only.  The company is backed by a group of investors from the travel, mobile and internet industries. iPhone and Android apps are expected to follow, allowing customers to browse and buy from their mobile phones.

The team at the Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa joined forces to create a giant human version of the Hilton logo on their beach to celebrate their launch a year ago and have re-created a giant ‘1′ in celebration of the anniversary this month. To get in the spirit, the luxury private island resort is asking their Facebook fans to create their own version of the Hilton logo in the most innovative way possible for their chance to win a complementary holiday at the resort. The image most liked by fans will win and the lucky creative whisked off to paradise.

There is also the chance to receive a complementary upgrade to a stunning Aqua Retreat for the 100th booking to the resort made on Hilton.com this month. Guests simply need to write ‘Happy Birthday Hilton’ in the booking notes for their chance to win. And for honeymooners staying at the resort this July, the resort is offering an exclusive 30% discount off a return visit to celebrate their own 1st anniversary.

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Sea Sand Sun, a luxury resort and spa near Pattaya. Did I say “luxury”? That’s an understatement! This place is superbly luxurious. If I could write this review in one word, that word would be WOW!

But you luxury travellers are going to want a bit more information than that, so here’s the heads up on this hidden tropical Paradise, which is only about 30 minutes’ drive away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Pattaya. It’s easy to get to via the main East Coast highway, and is clearly sign-posted from the main road (Km 163 on the seaward side of Highway 3) so you should find it easily enough – now you know where to look.

On arrival, we (my husband came along with me to carry the bags) were greeted by smiling staff who checked us in promptly, handed us a refreshing coconut drink, and loaded our luggage on to an electric buggy. The resort is quite large so if you don’t want to walk around, you can phone reception and ask for one of their buggies to take you from A to B. It was such a beautifully landscaped place that we preferred to walk everywhere, except on arrival and departure when we had luggage to shift.

The words “large resort” may conjure up an image in your mind of loads of people milling about, along with all the accompanying hubbub and bustle. Nothing could be further from the truth in the case of the Sea Sand Sun resort. The space was used to provide seclusion and privacy. There are only about 50 units of accommodation (some with two bedrooms) here, and it’s quite easy not to see other people if you prefer the peace and quiet of your own company.

Our accommodation was gorgeous. We had a secluded villa with a private pool which could also be used as a jacuzzi. We had every facility one could ever want from a luxury break. I could tell you about every little detail (actually, I was very taken with the design of the shower taps) but I’ve been told to write a review, not a book. The villa was wonderful with no attention spared to detail and comfort. Of course you can see the accommodation itself on the Sea Sand Sun’s own website.

The resort is laid out in a very convenient and sensible way too. Although we were given a plan of the resort, a quick glance was all that was required to orient ourselves. Basically there is a main path running along the centre to all the facilities with branches off the path, left and right, leading to the villas.

The reception is at the top, then at the foot you can find the spa, the free-form infinity pool with jacuzzi area, and outdoor restaurant. Oh yes, and the private beach.

Unlike Pattaya’s main beach where people are just about sitting on top of each other, there was no one to be seen on this one! I knew the resort had a private beach, I never expected to get the whole beach to ourselves. (No deckchairs reserved by someone else at 6am here!)

We were treated like VIPs by the staff. They know how to make guests feel valued and indeed they’re even used to royal visitors, as some members of the Thai Royal Family holiday at the Sea Sand Sun too.

If you really want seclusion, there’s also the option of private dining in your own villa, but we enjoyed visiting the restaurant, which serves terrific Thai food as well as international choices. There’s live music every night by Jay and Kookie who are really fun people and excellent entertainers.

Additionally, the resort has a very attractive meeting room which can be used for their corporate clients. If you have to attend a corporate meeting, I can’t think of a nicer environment to do it in.

This place was an amazing getaway from the stressful pace of life. After a two-night stay we left completely rejuvenated and relaxed. As I said in my first paragraph – WOW! As the resort itself says, it’s “so near, yet so far away from hassles”.

PS: We are pleased to be able to offer our readers a 10% discount if you’d like to stay at the Sea Sand Sun. Just mention A Luxury Travel Blog when you book with them.

Sheraton Algarve Hotel overlooks miles of unspoiled beaches and offers a vast range of lifestyle experiences from an 9-hole Golf Course, health clubs, beauty centre, 7,000sqm children’s club as well as an array of 11 restaurants and bars. Stay a minimum 3 nights to take advantage of rates from 150 euros a night.