Jetsettersblog

Banff, Alberta, Canada – Cilantro, at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, now has a more relaxed, casual feel. Featuring house-made terrines, local charcuterie plates and wood fired flatbread pizzas, Cilantro has evolved into the place to relax after a day on the slopes, or a day out exploring Banff.

“We really wanted this to be a place guests could come, enjoy a glass of wine and share a charcuterie plate and some cheeses or terrines, and just catch up with friends after a day out in the mountains,” explained Chef Alistair Barnes, Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts’ Executive Chef. “It’s a cozy, intimate space, the perfect setting to relax and enjoy conversation with friends while you admire the winter wonderland outside. The new concept seemed like a natural fit, since we have our own game ranch and raise elk and bison. Now we can highlight those flavours in our charcuterie and terrines at Cilantro. ”

Cilantro-located at 700 Tunnel Mountain Drive, at Buffalo Mountain Lodge-is now open Wednesday thru Sunday from 5:00-10:00pm. The menu also features a fine selection of Belgian and import beers and a collection of reasonably priced artisanal wines. The restaurant takes reservations for groups of 8 or more.

For more information please call 403-762-2400.

 This new ‘shared plates,’ tasting room concept is sure to be popular with locals and visitors alike.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts is a family of companies consisting of Emerald Lake Lodge in Field, British Columbia, Deer Lodge in Lake Louise, Alberta, and Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alberta. CRMR also owns four Calgary restaurants: Cilantro, Velvet,

The Ranche, and Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro, as well as a game ranch, The Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch, a Calgary wine boutique, Bin 905, as well as a bakery in Canmore, Panino. Now Open: Painted Boat Resort Spa & Marina, of which CRMR is the management company, on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, and THE RESTAURANT at Painted Boat.

Bankers Hill Gets a New Side of French cuisine with the opening of Hexagone

SAN DIEGO, CA — A new side of dining has shown up in Banker’s Hill on the corner of Laurel and 5th Ave: Hexagone, a French restaurant and bar created by French Market Grille’s Patrick Halcewicz, opened last week.

Named after the six-sided shape of France, Hexagone offers a culinary tour of France with an extensive menu that blends traditional French dishes with updated California cuisine.

“We have over 40 dishes, making our menu one of the largest of any French restaurant in San Diego,” notes Halcewicz. “I wanted to offer an array of great French food at reasonable prices and brought two distinct chefs, one with traditional French training and the other with a modern flair, to the
restaurant.”

Hexagone’s menu was created by France native and Executive Chef Daniel Durfort, formerly of Los Angeles’ La Parisienne, and Chef de Cuisine, Matt Smith, formerly of San Diego’ s JSix. Entrees include Braised Short Ribs with Truffle Polenta ($20), Lamb Shank Nicoise with White Bean Cassoulet ($24.50), and Muscovy Breast of Duck with Leg Confit and Orange Sauce ($22.50).

“The food, the bright location, my 15 years of experience at the French Market Grille and another 20 at La Valencia-Hexagone is just ready to be discovered,” exclaims Halcewicz.

Halcewicz opened French Market Grille, a bistro in Rancho Bernardo still open today, 15 years ago after working 20 years as Managing Director, “Hotelier to the Stars,” at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla.

“I’m hardly ready to retire,” says Halcewicz. “It’s a new chapter in San Diego dining. I can’ t wait for people to enjoy Hexagone.”

Hexagone is open for lunch from 11am to 4pm from Monday through Friday, and daily for dinner from 4pm to 10pm.

About Hexagone:

With glimpses of Balboa Park and views of 5th Avenue in Bankers Hill, Hexagone lets patrons explore the culinary creations of each of the six corners of France. Executive Chef Daniel Durfort, a French native formerly from Los Angeles’ La Parisienne, and Chef de Cuisine Matt Smith, formerly of JSix and Nine-Ten, unfurl a menu of more than 40 appetizers and entrees. A blend of traditional French dishes and California flavors, Hexagone’s daily cuisine can be enjoyed in casual elegance, surrounded by warm decor and bright windows.

Hexagone is located at 495 Laurel Street in Bankers Hill.

For more information, visit http://www.hexagonerestaurant.com

 or call 619-236-0467.

Zagat Survey released its first Disneyland Resort Insider’s Guide, a comprehensive overview of 279 rides, attractions, dining, shopping, hotels and amenities throughout California’s renowned Disneyland Resort.

Based on reports from 3,122 avid Disney-goers, the guide offers advice on how to spend your time and money, as well as how to beat the lines while enjoying Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, the Downtown Disney District and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.

 The Disneyland Resort Insider’s Guide is available below.

Zagat Walt Disney World Insider’s Guide (Zagat Survey –  Being published for the first time, Zagat reveals the insider s guide to over 500 of the best restaurants, nightspots, hotels, shops, sites & attractions at Walt Disney World, including: Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Enjoy 32 full-color pages with maps & photos.

Solís The Palmyra Resort & Spa, in Rose Hall, Jamaica, is set to unveil its ESPA Spa in June 2009.

The stand-alone 30,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor two-story spa, a destination unto itself, is the first ESPA in the area and promises to be the Caribbean’s best, setting a new standard for the region.

At Solís The Palmyra Resort & Spa, ESPA features heat experiences, the Hibiscus Tea Lounge, relaxation rooms, 14 treatment rooms, three private suites, a fitness center, finishing studio, hair salon and two outdoor pools with relaxation areas.

For more information on ESPA, call 877-ESPA-USA or visit www.espaonlilne.com

For more information on the resort, call 800-591-0473 or visit www.solisthepalmyra.com

Many Utah ski resorts are offering spring savings.

At The Alta Lodge (800-707-2582, www.altalodge.com) children ages 18 and under stay free April 12-19. With a four-night minimum stay, two kids stay in their parents’ room at no additional charge. Full breakfast and a four-course dinner are also included daily at no charge.

With two kids, this represents a savings of more than $200 per night. In addition, the lodge offers a free, supervised children’s program with activities after skiing, a special kids’ dinner, after dinner activities and shuttle service to and from the Alta Ski Area Children’s Ski School, which also has a full-time day care service for non-skiing children.

Brighton Ski Resort (801-532-4731, www.brightonresort.com) has a new deal with Maverik convenience stores. Guests who pick up a Maverik Adventure Card and bring it to the Brighton ticket window any Thursday receive a half-price twilight ticket (12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.), which offers eight hours of skiing for $29.

Guests who stay two or more nights at the Goldener Hirsch Inn (800-252-3373, www.goldenerhirschinn.com)  receive two single-day lift passes to Deer Valley Resort per person. Daily European breakfast buffet is included.

The offer is valid March 29 through April 12. A two-person minimum charge per room is required. Nightly rates start at $209 per person, double.

For a limited time, select properties at Park City Mountain Resort (800-331-3178, www.parkcitymountain.com) can be booked with a free night. A third night free is applicable through Feb. 28 and Mar. 22 through April 12. A fourth night free is applicable Mar. 1-21. Discounted lift tickets, ski rentals, airport transportation and airfare are also available.

www.snowbird.com) is offering a ski free deal with lodging rates starting at $135 per night, double. The rates include two free lift tickets. Solitude Mountain Resort (800-748-4754, www.skisolitude.com) is offering a fourth night free in a condominium, plus 15 percent off a massage treatment at the Spa at Solitude and 20 percent off adult lift passes.

Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort (800-232-9542,

The offer is valid March 1 through April 12 on new bookings only.

Meanwhile, The Inn at Solitude (877-517-7717, www.skisolitude.com) is offering lift tickets for two days and full breakfast at St. Bernard’s from a nightly room rate of $287 double with a three-night minimum. This offer is valid April 1-12.

At the Utah Olympic Park (435-658-4200, www.olyparks.com)  guests who purchase any Winter Activity package, Xtreme zip-line ride or Olympic Tour receive a $50 discount off a same-day Comet Bobsled ride (ages 16 and older only, and all riders should be in good health to ride). Advance reservations for the Comet are required.

For more information on Ski Utah and the state’s 13 resorts, call 800-754-8824 or visit www.skiutah.com

Country Walkers this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary with more than 70 itineraries and three degrees of difficulty to go around. Here is one at each level, just to get your motor running: Easy — France, Dordogne à la Carte, Country Walkers’ new Walking à la carte program offers a menu of activity options on designated tour days and an easier pace of walking.

On this seven-day tour, guests caban experience walks in wildflower fields, vineyards, and orchards; fortified medieval villages; and the Renaissance town of Sarlat.

 On the tour’s two à la carte days, choose from a myriad of options including a canoe ride down the Dordogne River, independent museum exploration, and a stroll through the village of Domme.

 Three departures from June through September 2009 are priced from $4,448 per person.

Moderate — Washington, The Olympic Peninsula, Step things up close to home with this invigorating, seven-day haul through the majesty of America’s Pacific Northwest covering four to nine miles per day on moderate terrain.

Carved by 60 active glaciers, the Olympic Peninsula is replete with rainforests, bubbling hot springs and clouds trapped by towering peaks.

The trip proceeds through the pristine and protected wilderness of Olympic National Park, including old-growth forests, alpine meadows, sandy beaches and abundant wildflowers. Local provisions — including native salmon — and historic lodge accommodations assure a glorious and healthful adventure.

Six departures from June through August 2009 are priced from $2,998 per person. Challenging — Peru Trek, An Inn-to-Inn Adventure,

This nine-day, inn-to-inn trek offers rugged hikes and challenging terrain at elevations of 6,600 to 15,100 feet averaging five to eight miles of trekking per day.

Eco-friendly accommodations offer spectacular views, private rooms, and delicious meals prepared by a personal chef.

Diverse hiking trails will lead you through bamboo forests, coffee plantations, avocado orchards and high-mountain passes — with eyes set on Machu Picchu, of course.

Five departures July through October 2009 are priced from $4,098 per person.

For more information, visit www.countrywalkers.com

Auto Europe is offering a free portable GPS rental offer in select European countries with car rental services.

Travelers will receive a free Garmin Nuvi 270 or similar for the duration of their rental with routing maps of Western Europe and most of Eastern Europe with car rental services in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., Greece and Holland.

In addition, Auto Europe is also offering this promotion with any Peugeot Open Europe lease of 17 days or longer, any motor home rental in Europe and with any long term rental of 14 days or longer.

In addition to providing peace of mind with turn-by-turn directions, the unit can also be removed from the vehicle and used to plan the next day’s adventures by finding restaurants, museums and other places of interest.

 The free GPS offer is valid with minimum five-day car rental reservations booked now through Feb, 28, 2009 and is valid with any intermediate car rental or larger or with any car category booked for 14 days or longer.

 The free GPS offer is valid on select Peugeot models with Auto Europe’s Peugeot Open Europe program for travel through Dec. 31, 2009.

In addition, reserve any motorhome rental through Feb. 28 for travel through 2009 and receive a free portable GPS unit. The free GPS rental offer excludes a shipping and handling charge of $40. Optional insurance is available at $1 per day. Offer is subject to change without notice. Additional restrictions apply.

Tauck is passing prices negotiated with its suppliers along to guests on its European land journeys and selected tours in the Canadian Rockies, saving Tauck travelers up to $580 per couple.

The savings apply to all 2009 departures of its Yellow Roads Of Europe land tours and to five tours in the Canadian Rockies. According to Tauck CEO Dan Mahar, Tauck’s partners in Europe and Western Canada have extended considerations to Tauck that go well beyond what they normally offer.

Mahar said that every Tauck itinerary included in the Partners’ Savings program has either been enhanced or remains unchanged, and each continues to deliver the same superior experience and service that Tauck guests have come to expect from the 84-year-old company.

Tauck guests already booked on any of the journeys in the Partners’ Savings program will have a credit applied to their booking. On Tauck’s collection of Yellow Roads European land journeys, the same savings apply to every itinerary, although the savings vary by departure date.

Tauck guests with departure dates prior to July 1 will save $260 per person, or $520 per couple. Those traveling on departure dates of July 1 or later will save $190 per person, or $380 per couple.

The Partners’ Savings come in addition to savings that Tauck guests are already enjoying because the company held its 2008 double-occupancy prices on each of its Yellow Roads European land tours.

A total of five Tauck tours in the Canadian Rockies are included in the company’s Partners’ Savings program. Unlike the Partners’ Savings in Europe, the savings vary by itinerary, but are not related to departure date.

The savings include Grand Canadian Rockies, $290 per person; Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park, $210 per person; Canadian Rockies & British Columbia, $220 per person; Wonders Of The Canadian Rockies (Tauck Bridges), $180 per person; and Best Of The Canadian Rockies, $160 per person. Tauck’s collection of 26 Yellow Roads land journeys is named for the scenic byways of Europe, which are highlighted on Michelin roadmaps in yellow.

The company’s journeys travel these “yellow roads” to showcase must-see sites as well as authentic, off-the-beaten-path cultural attractions that bring each destination to life. Partners’ Savings do not apply to Tauck Bridges family tours in Europe, or to Tauck’s European river or small-ship cruises. Tauck has led guided journeys of the Canadian Rockies for over 30 years, and was recently named the “No. 1 Tour Operator In Canada” for the fourth consecutive year by a leading travel industry trade journal.

For more information, call 800-468-2825, or visit www.tauck.com

Blue and Silver SIRIUS card holders staying at any Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts worldwide will receive Gold member benefits during their stay including an upgrade to the next room category, access to the Club Executive Lounge and facilities, daily complimentary breakfast in any of our breakfast restaurants and a complimentary late check out until 2.00pm. This offer also includes complimentary airport transfers, daily newspaper, free internet access and 10% food discount on any of the hotel’s restaurants.

Gold SIRIUS card holders staying at any Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts worldwide will get 20% food discount on any of the hotel’s restaurants plus 2000 bonus points credited to their SIRIUS account in addition to the standard Gold benefits.

Validity: Until – 20th April 2009

For more information, please contact SIRIUS
Tel No: +971 4 364 7500
Email: Sirius@mysiriuscard.com
Website: www.jumeirah.com

In 2009, Crystal Cruises is introducing two Ancient Civilizations-themed Experiences of Discovery itineraries through the Middle East, Holy Land and Mediterranean. Guest historians, archeologists and a foreign correspondent will bring new and substantive perspective to Cairo, Jerusalem and Jordan’s archeological site of Petra. Referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization,” the destinations offer more than five millennia of history and cultural heritage.

In addition to onboard presentations, guest experts will accompany Crystal Adventures ashore. The Ancient Civilizations voyages include Crystal Symphony’s May 17 sailing from Dubai to Athens and Crystal Serenity’s October 8, Athens to Venice cruise.

“The ‘Ancient Civilizations’ voyages are designed to add relevance and perspective to ports and countries that’s have shaped world history,” said John Stoll, director, land programs.

“Visiting these destinations in the company of renowned experts will arguably deepen our guests understanding and appreciation of different cultures – and how those cultures have impacted the evolution of civilization.”

Guest experts will offer commentary and insight to select Crystal Adventures, including:

• Exploration of Luxor & Valley of the Kings – A full-day Egyptian excursion visiting the Pharaoh’s tombs, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Temple of Luxor and the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, accompanied by archeologist and professor Bridget Buxton, an expert on the treasures of the Middle East and Greece;

• Rose City of Petra – An excursion out of Aqaba, Jordan, exploring this 2,000-year-old city, also accompanied by Buxton.

• Full Day in Cairo – An intimate look at the world’s most famous monuments of antiquity, the pyramids and the Sphinx, accompanied by Ken Rees, a veteran broadcast journalist and foreign correspondent for the Middle East and Mediterranean, on the May 17 cruise, and historian and author Diana Preston on the October 8 itinerary.

• Full-Day Tour of Jerusalem – From Ashdod, Israel, guests can explore this sacred city with insight from Rees.

The cruises will also feature theme-related films in staterooms and the Hollywood Theaters.

The 14-day Dubai to Athens voyage transits the Suez Canal, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden and calls in Salalah, Oman; Luxor and Cairo, Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan. The 12-day Athens to Venice itinerary calls at Santorini, Rhodes and Corfu, Greece; Ashdod, Israel; Cairo, Egypt and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Cruise fares begin at US$5,690 per person, double occupancy.

The Crystal Difference

Aboard the ultra-luxurious Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, refined elegance meets casual simplicity. With an emphasis on innovative product differentiation, the renowned Crystal experience is distinguished by classic service, abundant space, extensive choices and superior quality, providing worldwide vacations of seven to 100+ days that bridge the best of land and sea. Grounded in more than a decade of accolades, Crystal has been voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler more than any other cruise line, hotel or resort in history.

For additional information or booking, please contact Miramar Express at +852 3960 0388 or visit the luxury line’s website at www.crystalcruises.com