Jetsettersblog

Il Salviatino, a palatial villa dating back to the 15th century, is set to launch in May 2009 as a luxury hotel just outside of Florence.

In 2007, directional hotelier Marcello Pigozzo together with his son unearthed a derelict villa, and in February 2008 initiated a 15 million euro ($20 million) architectural project set to restore the property to its former glory.

Following a 40-year career in luxury travel, Pigozzo has realized a dream — to create a hotel, encapsulating Italian culture and luxury living. With a team of local artisans, and award-winning architect Luciano Columbo, this 21st century restoration hopes to re-ignite Il Salviatino’s aristocratic Florentine past.

Set within 11.5 acres of Tuscan gardens, Il Salviatino will offer 58 rooms, a gourmet al fresco restaurant and holistic spa. All interiors are individually designed to incorporate the preservation of original features, including 19th century frescoes, huge marble fireplaces and ancient mosaics. A selection of suites will offer mezzanine floors, optimizing the high ceilings of the main house, and tucked away in to the terraced gardens, hillside suites will provide private conservatories, sunken baths and Tuscan views. The villa’s penthouse suite will offer multi-level living space with external plunge pool and private rooftop terrace with 360-degree views of Fiesole and the city of Florence.

A first-class day spa by Devarana will offer a menu of ancient eastern practices by Thai therapists. The spa will include a year-round heated and partially covered pool, a fitness center and a restaurant which together will operate as a hotel facility and private member’s club for locals. A second pool will be situated by the villa for guest use only. Rates at Il Salviatino will start at 575 euros ($760) for a deluxe room per night, for double occupancy, not including 10 percent government tax. This rate includes the Service Ambassador, who is the personal concierge responsible for every aspect of the stay, from pre-booking to post-visit.

For more information, visit www.salviatino.com

Twenty-eight countries agreed to limit the size of cruise ships that can make landings in Antarctica to protect the environment.

Officials last week in Baltimore agreed to ban ships with more than 500 passengers from landing sites in Antarctica.

In addition, no more than 100 passengers can walk onto the Antarctic shores at once. The revisions to the Antarctic Treaty will become legally enforceable when the 28 countries ratify them. No opposition was reported.

Following the launch of its first hotel, The Opposite House in Beijing, Swire Hotels will unveil its second hotel, The Upper House, in Hong Kong this October.

The Upper House is conveniently located within Pacific Place in Admiralty, Hong Kong Island’s integrated commercial, retail and hospitality complex.

The hotel’s 117 rooms, including 21 suites and two penthouses, all feature harbor or island views and are among the largest in Hong Kong, beginning at 730 square feet. Bathrooms of over 300 square feet are framed with panoramic windows and feature walk-in rain showers, dressing area and deep soaking baths. Café Gray Deluxe, located on the 49th floor overlooking Victoria Harbor, marks the return of celebrated chef Gray Kunz to Hong Kong. The restaurant is highlighted by a 46-foot-long open kitchen and equally long bar.

Additionally, the hotel has an outdoor lawn on the sixth floor and sky lounge on the 49th floor.

For more information, visit www.swirehotels.com

The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has reopened its 7,000-square-foot Ocean Spa & Fitness after a major renovation.

The new, eco-conscious spa is designed to embrace nurture and nature.

Designed and managed by Plus One Health Management, Ocean Spa & Fitness’ eco-friendly design elements include Ecoresin panels made from 40 percent post-industrial recycled resin; Armstrong sustainable ceiling tiles; reclaimed-wood furniture pieces; Mondo recycled rubber floors; and Shaw carpet with Cradle to Cradle Certification.

The renovation also includes new cardio equipment by Technogym, including six treadmills, seven elliptical machines, three exercise bikes, one rowing machine, one Excite top hand machine and two cardio waves, each equipped with an iPod docking station and a personal television.

In addition, three interactive Expresso bikes allow guests to enjoy a side-by-side racing experience.

A group fitness studio offers a variety of classes, including yoga, spinning, dance, mat Pilates and body sculpting.

In addition to aesthetic changes, the spa’s wellness experiences have also been revamped to include organic attributes.

The Aroma Synergy massage and Stream of Consciousness scalp treatment incorporate certified organic essential oils by Red Flower.

Spa-goers choose from a variety of blends, including Indian jasmine, French lavender and Icelandic moonflower, to help enhance their healing experience. Red Flower is an eco-responsible company that uses sustainably harvested ingredients, biodegradable products and recycled packaging.

Other spa experiences offered in the spa’s four treatment rooms include Moor mud wraps, buff body treatments, beauty flash facials and the signature Beachcomber massage with heated tiger clam shells infused with mineral-rich kelp and sea water.

Several of these treatments incorporate Pevonia Botanica products.

A member of the Organic Trade Association, Pevonia is a leader in botanical skincare largely for its environmental endeavors, including paraben- and chemical-free products, post-consumer recycled bottles and biodegradable packaging.

Additional spa amenities include manicures and pedicures, a full-service hair salon, a boutique, men’s and women’s lounges with dry saunas and eucalyptus steam rooms, personalized fitness programs, nutritional coaching, and educational seminars.

For more information, call 800-235-6397 or visit www.loewshotels.com

JG Black Book of Travel, a consulting firm that provides expert marketing, promotion and sales management services for luxury travel providers, signed a partnership with Destination Cellars, a members-only wine club offering entrée to wineries and wine experiences around the world. Through the partnership, travel agents can access Destination Cellars’ wine experiences — many of which are not open to the public — through JG Black Book of Travel’s VIP desk.

Destination Cellars provides personalized experiences for wine, food and travel enthusiasts, including private tours of vineyards, special tastings of rare vintages, cooking classes, and intimate gatherings with the stars of the wine world. The company’s seasoned team of wine and hospitality experts hand-select and test each wine journey before offering it to members, ensuring a seamless planning and execution process.

Founded in 2006, Destination Cellars is a luxury destination club that offers affluent wine, food and travel enthusiasts personalized access to winery properties around the world including France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Oregon, Portugal and Hungary.

From an intimate wine tasting and fine dining experience, to cave exploration and bio-dynamic seminars, Destination Cellars creates private “once in a lifetime” experiences opening the world of wine to those who desire an extraordinary and memorable journey.

JG Black Book of Travel is a consulting firm launched by CEO Jena Gardner in 2002 that provides marketing, public relations and sales services to the world’s finest travel providers. JG Black Book of Travel works with only the top travel experiences in the world — hotels, resorts, villas, tour operators, cruises and yachts — supporting these companies in their continuing pursuit of excellence.

These invitation-only partners make up the JG Black Book Collection, a consortium of the most distinctive, stylish, innovative, and socially responsible travel products and services in the industry.

Travel agents can book a Destination Cellars experience by calling 888-241-9763 or emailing vip@jgblackbook.com

For more information, see www.jgblackbook.com

A relaxing meal at 30,000 feet should be complemented by a signature glass of wine from a region of the world significant to that flight. Classically trained winemaker and viticulturist Ken Chase is now selecting wines for American Airlines so travelers can experience new adventures in taste.

Chase’s classical training and international reputation as a winemaker make his selections even more appealing and credible to travelers, especially those with some wine expertise who travel on international and transcontinental flights. Chase has a vast knowledge of European, North American and South American wines. Ethnic, cultural, seasonal and stylistic factors are always considered when choosing the correct wines for each flight.

Chase ensures that the wine selections for these flights meet these criteria of each national and international destination.

American is not just paying more attention to their wine, but to their wine glasses as well.

In order to further enhance their customers’ wine tasting experience, American introduced a new and larger wine glass for First Class cabins on the international Boeing 777 and the transcontinental Boeing 767-200 aircraft.

These new glasses allow customers to swirl and take in the aroma of their wine before tasting it. For more information, visit www.aa.com/wine

Until Oct. 30, members of Nice Airport’s passenger program Club Airport Premier (CAP) and Air France’s frequent flyer program traveling on the Nice-Paris Orly domestic route will pilot a new boarding device, Pass and Fly.

The pilot project will simplify passenger recognition, the crediting of CAP points and airplane boarding, through the use of a mobile phone that is Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled.

It is the first time in air travel that NFC, a short-range, wireless connectivity technology, will be used to enable mobile boarding passes. NFC integrates wireless technology into mobile phones, allowing interaction among electronic devices.

This means it enables the passenger to be identified and also obtain a digital boarding pass when they swipe their mobile phone across a reader that is set up at the airport.

Pass and Fly is a joint innovation project started by Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and Air France, in partnership with Amadeus and IER.

To enable the project, Amadeus developed the technology applications for the mobile phones, departure control system and airport readers, to display and share information relevant to the passenger boarding process.

IER built and provided the NFC booths and readers which have been integrated in the airport’s infrastructure and connected to Air France’s passenger management system.

The French national airline provided the electronic boarding passes.

The traveler checks-in through any of the channels enabled by Air France (Internet, mobile phone or self-service kiosk).

At the airport, the traveler needs to carry a NFC-enabled mobile phone which holds their frequent flyer information.

The NFC component is either integrated in the mobile phone or on a sticker that communicates with the phone.

The traveler can go through a fast lane access to security inspection by swiping their mobile phone past the Pass and Fly reader.

The machine identifies the passenger and finds their boarding pass corresponding to a flight departing from Nice in the next few hours.

The digital boarding pass is then uploaded onto the mobile phone following the IATA format.

Nice Airport CAP frequent flyer points are automatically credited so members of the program no longer need to go to a separate kiosk to obtain these.

For more information, visit www.cote-azur.aeroport.fr  

 www.amadeus.com  or www.ier.fr

Florida’s Gulf Islands of Anna Maria, Longboat Key, and the mainland areas of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch welcome four new galleries to its 42-acre Village of the Arts district, located near downtown Bradenton.

Considered the region’s largest artist-in-residence community, Village of the Arts boasts more than 40 galleries, studios, and businesses, many in refurbished 1920s to 1930s residential properties.

From art, jewelry and ceramics to photography, gourmet cafes, and special events, this area offers a variety of options for unique collectibles and eclectic experiences.

The new galleries are Edgy Meets Artsy at the Rawk Shop; 14eleven; Innervisions Gallery and Yoga Arts; Divine Excess; and Other Needful Things.

The Village of the Arts is bordered by 9th Avenue West to the North, 17th Avenue W to the South, 9th Street West to the East, and US 41/14th Street West to the West. Artists open their doors to visitors from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Monthly ArtWalks take place the first weekend of every month, and include a celebration of food, music, outdoor exhibits, and guided tours.

For a complete listing of artists, including hours of operation, specialty medium and events, visit www.villageofthearts.com

For more information about the destination, visit www.FloridasGulfIslands.com

A recent poll on www.Hideaways.com asked 271 high-end travelers if they are likely to shed their inhibitions — and their clothing — while on vacation.

For 81 percent, the answer is yes — 61 percent said they’d join right in at a clothing-optional beach, and 20 percent said they’d work on an all-over tan in private.

Some 15 percent say they’d go to a clothes-optional beach but won’t be seen in the buff themselves, and only 4 percent say they avoid clothing-optional beaches and won’t even skinny-dip in private. Of the travelers who responded, 73 percent were male and 27 percent were female.

Hideaways.com conducted a similar poll in 2004. At that time, 79 percent of high-end travelers said they’d shed their clothing while on vacation, while 21 percent said they’d never reveal it all when they travel.

“Slightly more people seem to have lost their inhibitions in the past five years,” says Mike Thiel, president and founder of Hideaways International, Inc.

For an explanation, Thiel jokes, “Perhaps the health message that we all need more Vitamin D is catching on, or people have even more incentive to travel light, what with the airlines charging for checked baggage.”

For those looking for a vacation that combines in the buff with in the lap of luxury, Thiel reveals his top take-it-all-off destinations and lodging options: St. Barth — all beaches on the island are topless, and two — Gouverneur and Grande Saline — are unofficially clothes optional.

Guests can also skinny-dip in the private pool of their luxurious cottage at Hotel Le Toiny. French St. Martin — This island has a split personality.

Its Dutch side is rather puritanical, but on the French side all beaches are topless, and Orient Beach is clothes optional. Guests can also take it all off on the private deck or skinny-dip in the private pool of their sumptuous villa or suite at La Samanna. Isla Mujeres, Mexico — Even though Mexico as a whole is fairly conservative, the island’s North Beach is pretty relaxed about toplessness.

Guests can get an all-over tan while on the private terrace — complete with outdoor Jacuzzi — on the top level of the ultra-luxe, tri-level Presidential Suite at Hotel Villa Rolandi. Any (warm) destination can be suitable. Renting a vacation home, like an Italian villa or a California beach house, offers space, freedom, and often a private pool to work on a total tan.

For 30 years, Hideaways has been a leader in international private home rentals. For more information, visit www.Hideaways.com

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, operator of New York City’s most famous boat ride, will add two additional new vessels to its fleet in 2009. Currently under construction in Somerset, Mass., the Circle Line Queens and Circle Line Brooklyn are scheduled to embark on their maiden voyages this April and June, respectively.

To christen the occasion, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises will host a 1940s-style carnival celebration and block party at Pier 81, paying homage to the era in which Circle Line was born.

The free-of-charge event, scheduled to occur on June 20, will include a barbecue, merry-go-round, carnival entertainers and complimentary cruises to the Statue of Liberty.

Donations, which are recommended for guests who partake in the festivities, will all go towards local charities.

The Circle Line Brooklyn and Circle Line Queens each hold up to 600 passengers and offer upgraded amenities while maintaining the iconic silhouette that generations of voyagers have come to associate with New York City’s most famous sightseeing cruise.

These state-of-the-art additions to the fleet will mark a historic day in Circle Line’s 64-year reign over the waters of Manhattan, providing passengers with added comfort as they witness the world’s greatest city from the city’s greatest tour.

The new vessels will replace the Circle Line XI and Circle Line XV, which have been in service for Circle Line for more than six decades. For more information, call 212-563-3200 or visit www.circleline42.com