Jetsettersblog

Special Hotels of the World announced the opening of Valamar Lacroma Resort on May 28, 2009.

Ivan Karlic will serve as general manager.

Part of the Valamar Hotels and Resorts Group, this 401-room resort is located on the Mediterranean peninsular of Babin Kuk, near the old town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, and is the largest conference and spa hotel in Dubrovnik.

The resort features a conference center and eight meeting rooms as well as a spa with a Finnish sauna, soft sauna, ice fountain, relaxation room and ladies-only area.

There are 10 treatment rooms including one couples’ room and a bath treatment room. Other facilities include an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, beach volleyball, tennis courts, a diving school and numerous water-sports activities.

For more information or to book, call 972-894-1182 or visit www.ghotw.com/valamar-lacroma-resort

Corinthia Hotels announced the relaunch of its refurbished and extended 400-bedroom luxury hotel on Nevskij Prospect in St. Petersburg, Russia, having more bedrooms and more facilities under one roof than any other luxury hotel in the city. Her Excellency the Governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko, officially inaugurated the new hotel at a grand opening ceremony on May 25. The Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel was acquired as an operating hotel in 2002 by International Hotel Investments (IHI) plc, a Malta-based hotel investment, development and management company, which owns and manages Corinthia Hotels worldwide.

At the time, IHI also acquired the vacant grand properties on either side of the hotel on the city’s main boulevard.

Over the past two years, IHI has invested a further 100 million euros (approximately $140 million), including the total refurbishment of the original hotel, complete with a new and larger grand foyer and a new restaurant and new bars.

The adjoining buildings on either side of the hotel, which had been acquired in a state of serious disrepair, were demolished and carefully reconstructed with ornate facades matching their original splendor and rebuilt using traditional techniques.

One of the adjoining properties at Nevskij 59 now houses the executive wing of the Corinthia Hotel, featuring 107 executive suites and bedrooms along with a 250-square-meter Presidential Suite and an executive lounge, bringing the hotel’s total inventory to almost 400 rooms.

The centerpiece of this extension is the Grand Ballroom, seating close to 600 persons, which is the largest meeting space of its kind in any five-star hotel in St. Petersburg.

The ballroom is further supported by a suite of 14 executive meeting rooms.

Over 1,200 guests can be accommodated at any one time in the conference facilities. The other adjoining property, at Nevskij 55, now houses a stand-alone retail mall and commercial center, which will be officially inaugurated later this year.

For more information, visit www.corinthiahotels.com

Divers who thirst for something new and unexplored can look forward to the opening of Alila Villas Hadahaa in August 2009, which brings with it the thrilling opportunity to dive into pristine new underwater worlds in regions of the Maldives that have so far encountered limited human activity.

Alila Villas Hadahaa is located on a remote tropical island in the North Huvadhoo Atoll, one of the Maldives’ southern atolls.

Huvadhoo is one of the largest atolls in the world with 300 islands, most of which are uninhabited. It is also the deepest atoll in the Maldives with a central lagoon plunging about 90 metres down. Due to its size, it offers a spectacularly diverse region for divers.

Until now, diving in these waters has been pretty much limited to week-long cruises on liveaboard vessels, which typically only appeal to the experienced diver.

As a pioneer resort in this atoll featuring its very own luxury dive centre – one of the first land-based dive centres in Huvadhoo – Alila Villas Hadahaa is gearing up to make diving in this region more accessible.

Deep within the atoll’s turquoise lagoons lies a mesmerising landscape of unspoilt coral reefs and diverse marine life.

Those fortunate enough to have dived in this area talk of witnessing a ‘lost world’, with steep forested valleys, vast peaks and spires, and table corals several metres wide, cloaked in vivid colours.

The marine life here is more abundant and varied than anywhere else in the Maldives, not to mention still delightfully curious and unwary of divers. Sightings have included blue marlins, giant groupers, moray eels, manta and eagle rays, and many species of shark such as leopard, blacktip reef and giant hammerheads.

Discovering new dive sites and sharing them with guests will be an ongoing passion for the resort’s dive centre, which intends to offer a range of tailored courses and quality dive experiences catering to every ability and interest level, including beginners, and all who want to escape the crowds.

Equally important, the dive centre will also focus on the environmental aspects of diving such as protecting, nurturing and showcasing the unique and fragile marine environment, demonstrating the resort’s commitment to environmental preservation even as it opens the path to new diving frontiers.

About Alila Villas Hadahaa Alila Villas Hadahaa is set on the pristine tropical island of Hadahaa in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, southern Maldives, surrounded by a vast expanse of sea, stunning coral reef, abundant fish life, and stands of the native Sea Trumpet and Sea Hearse.

Alila Villas Hadahaa features 14 stilted over-thewater Aqua Villas and 36 Island Villas, 20 of which come with a private pool.

In-resort facilities and services include a dive centre, Leisure Concierge, Spa by Mandara, a fully-equipped gym, a Maldivian specialty fine dining restaurant, a rooftop lounge and a library with a star-gazing roof.

Alila Villas Hadahaa, which represents Alila Hotels and Resorts’ new generation of high end luxury resorts, captures the authentic Maldivian experience of tranquillity and space so passionately sought after by discerning travellers.

Alila Villas Hadahaa is setting new standards for luxury living in natural environments with unique bespoke Maldivian experiences. Sustainably designed by the awardwinning SCDA Architects and then carefully constructed from the ground up, Alila Villas Hadahaa is the first resort in the Maldives to have achieved the prestigious Green Globe ‘Building, Planning and Design Standard’ Certified status.

About Alila Hotels and Resorts

Alila Hotels and Resorts offers a stylish, relaxing environment with a new level of guest experience which is continuously redefined by the latest developments in design and living. Alila Hotels and Resorts fashions uniquely different lifestyle concepts in creating luxurious destination experiences for its guests. The management company has gained much repute as a niche innovator of exclusive resorts that differentiate themselves by adding that special lifestyle component.

The Alila Experiences are centered on building unique emotional “moments of truth” between the guest, the hotel and destination. More information about its current hotels and resorts in Bali, Jakarta, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines can be found at www.alilahotels.com

Currently, Alila is embarking on its next generation of high end luxury resorts in Bali, China, India, Indochina, Maldives, Oman and the Gulf region and Thailand.

Where many resorts sequester spa facilities in the bowels of a building or the back of a property, the new spa at Princess d’Annam is center-stage, out front, on the sea. Said Jean-Philippe Beghin, general manager of the recently opened Princess d’Annam Resort & Spa,

“All too often, people forget that setting plays a fundamental role in an overall spa experience. Exteriors are sacrificed for the interiors.

” But we have sacrificed nothing.” The building opens up to views of Ke Ga Bay; with its 1899 lighthouse defining one edge of the bay and a sand dune defining the other. Architect Tan Hock Beng designed a two-storey, U-shaped spa building that echoes a Greco-Roman temple on the edge of the Mediterranean.

 Managed by a staff of 18, the spa spans 1,800 square meters with 10 treatment rooms on the upper floor and relaxation rooms featuring floor-to-ceiling windows on the sea.

The spa’s two VIP treatment rooms accommodate couples’ treatments. The spa’s ultimate package is the all-day (6 hours and 15 minutes) Princess Signature treatment, including massage, body scrubs, body wraps, facials, foot acupuncture and therapy for the hair and scalp.

Slightly shorter, full-day packages are available, as are two half-day packages, including a his and her treatment. The Princess d’Annam Resort & Spa is 57-unit, all-villa resort located on Ke Ga Bay, nine miles from Ho Chi Minh City.
The property features three classes of accommodation, from the 75-square-meter Mandarin Villa to the 185-square-meter, two-story Empress.

For more information, call 011-84-8-3825 7921 or visit www.princessannam.com

Le Méridien brand unveiled three new hotel and resort properties in Asia Pacific — Le Méridien Bangkok, Le Méridien Chiang Mai and Le Méridien Chiang Rai.

Le Méridien recently celebrated the official openings of these hotels and resorts with the brand’s signature event, First Night Bangkok: Destination Asia, An Active Discovery. As part of the First Night event, Le Méridien also unveiled the signature Le Méridien arrival experience and new signature breakfast at Le Méridien hotels in Asia Pacific.

Examples of Transitional Portals can be found at most all Le Méridien hotels in Asia Pacific, created by six international LM100 artists, Ralph Gibson, Hisham Bharoocha, Joan Fontcuberta, Youssef Nabil, Younès Rahmouna and An Xiaotong.

Guests who attended the First Night Bangkok event had the opportunity to discover the Transitional Portal artwork located at Le Méridien Hotels in Asia Pacific.

As part of the unique arrival experience, the brand has created Unlock Art, providing guests with unique access to contemporary cultural centers through artist-designed key cards that offer complimentary admission to local cultural experiences.

The exclusive keycards at Le Méridien Bangkok have been created by artist Michael Lin, and provide access to the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), one of Asia’s largest cultural and design institutions.

Using his signature floral motifs, Lin designed the first set of Unlock Art keycards. As Le Méridien Bangkok guests use these cards to open doors and access experiences at TCDC, the keycards will become works of art in and of themselves.

The program at Le Méridien Chiang Mai gives guests complimentary access to the Umbrella Making Centre, Borsang. Borsang is a village in San Kamphaeng district and is known for its hand-painted parasols made from mulberry paper (Sa paper) and silk.

Upon presentation of Unlock Art keycard to the Centre, guests are able to express themselves by painting their own designs for the umbrellas at the workshop.

For Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, the Unlock Art program provides guests with access to the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park houses the royal collection of Lanna art, the finest collection of religious and secular art and artifacts in Thailand.

Le Méridien Bangkok is a modern 24-story tower in the heart of Thailand’s capital and stands as an icon to the rising contemporary creative scene in the city.

All 282 guestrooms and suites are wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, presenting unparalleled views of Bangkok’s cityscape and vibrant street scene below.

The hotel also offers four subtly secluded but easy to access Atelier meeting rooms with contemporary private foyer, offering more than 300 square meters of function space ideal for corporate meetings and events as well as intimate social affairs.

Le Méridien Bangkok also features two innovative Le Méridien signature restaurants and a bar — Latest Recipe, an all-day dining concept, and Bamboo Chic, a contemporary Asian fusion concept, a spa by Le Méridien with seven circular treatment rooms, and a fully-equipped fitness center and outdoor pool.

Centered among two 100-year-old rain trees, Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort is located in Thailand’s premier hillside resort community in the country’s northernmost province. Owned by the Rain Tree Hotel Company, Limited, the brand-new resort is 10 minutes from the Chiang Rai International Airport, five minutes from the town center and a one-hour drive from the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand converge. In addition to its 159 spacious and contemporary guestrooms and suites, featuring expansive private balconies, the resort offers an extensive menu of massage, facial and body treatments at Pavarti Spa, three world-class restaurants, a state-of-the-art gym and a three-tiered, outdoor swimming pool.

Le Méridien Chiang Mai offers travelers accommodations on Chang Klan Road in downtown Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern capital. Most of the hotel’s 384 guestrooms overlook the Doi Suthep Mountain, and all are outfitted with the signature Le Méridien Bed, broadband Internet and high-definition LCD televisions. This newly constructed hotel features two restaurants, a modern health club, a multi-sensory spa and an outdoor swimming pool with panoramic views of Chiang Mai. Le Méridien Chiang Mai also offers more than 1,900 square meters of flexible function space, equipped with sophisticated technologies that make it an ideal destination for meetings, seminars, banquets and conventions.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group will open the Pan Pacific Xiamen in August 2009 following a series of hotel enhancements to deliver the level of personalized experience synonymous with the Pan Pacific brand.

The hotel was formerly the Sofitel Plaza Xiamen. With the new Pan Pacific Xiamen, guests can expect an enhanced overall experience in line with the Pan Pacific standard of luxury, starting from the booking process through to their arrival and stay at the hotel.

Guests will now be able to make their reservations via Pan Pacific’s proprietary reservations and distribution platform, Panther.

The reservations platform will provide guests with a convenient and personalized experience, allowing guests to book via GDS, online channels, as well as Pan Pacific’s toll-free voice reservation centers.

Guests will also have their guest preference information captured in Panther to allow the hotel to better meet their needs.

Plans for extensive refurbishment of the hotel include arrival and lobby.

Featuring extensive landscaping, the refurbished lobby will greet guests with an enhanced arrival experience. The facelift, which includes the hotel lobby and elevators, will reveal a fresh, new look in line with Pan Pacific’s unique brand of subtleness, delicate service and attention to detail.

Rooms and suites will include upgrades to in-room audio-visual equipment such as new flat-screen televisions, dual language controls and i-Pod docking stations. Business travelers will also notice improved task lighting, ergonomically designed desks and chairs, as well as a laptop safe.

The hotel will also feature Pan Pacific’s exclusive, premier executive club, the Pacific Club, on levels 20 through 29. Pacific Club guests will enjoy the unrivalled level of personalized attention and luxury, with round-the-clock butler service and access to the new and expanded Pacific Club Lounge serving breakfast.

Additionally, guests will have access to business amenities, including fully-equipped meeting rooms and comprehensive business services. The Pan Pacific Xiamen will also feature Pan Pacific’s Cantonese restaurant, Hai Tien Lo, as well as a refurbished tea and coffee lounge in the hotel lobby.

The Fitness Centre will be outfitted with new equipment for an improved workout, enhanced with new audio-visual equipment and other amenities for a holistic experience. Renovations and upgrades to the Pan Pacific Xiamen are expected to be completed in early August. Further extending the brand’s presence in China, Pan Pacific is scheduled to open the Pan Pacific Tianjin in 2011.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) signed a management contract with Taiwan-based E United Group to manage a 650-room Crowne Plaza Kaohsiung E-Da World. This latest addition to IHG’s portfolio, slated to open by end of 2009, will be the first managed Crowne Plaza hotel in Taiwan and will make IHG the largest international hotel group in Taiwan with a total of more than 1,200 rooms.

As the second largest city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung is the centre of Taiwan’s shipbuilding, manufacturing, refining and transportation industries.

Crowne Plaza Kaohsiung E-Da World is located at the famous tourist spot, Guang-Yin Mountain, Kaohsiung City.

The property will have full service facilities with five restaurants, two ballrooms and 10 function rooms. IHG’s current Taiwan portfolio includes Holiday Inn East Taipei, Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan and Holiday Inn Express Taichung Park. Having been in Greater China for 25 years,

IHG has become the region’s largest international hotel group with 117 hotels open and more than 100 in the pipeline.

Greater China has recently surpassed the United Kingdom to become IHG’s second largest market in the world by number of rooms.

For more information, visit the banner at right.

The World’s Most Talked About Holistic Holiday

Atsitsa, on the unspoilt island of Skyros, Greece, offers guests the opportunity to attune to nature, try new things and make new friends in a supportive and inspirational environment.

A great holiday for anyone looking to travel alone, the mix of courses and community events make for a perfect forum in which to make lifelong friends.

For a full list of courses please visit www.skyros.com .

Right by the sea and in the arms of a magnificent pine forest, Atsitsa commands a supreme position on a beautiful, secluded bay. Sometimes described as upmarket camping, it offers guests a truly holistic experience with most participants staying in bamboo huts lulled to sleep by the sound of the sea and woken by the rising sun.

Facilitated by an impressive team of tutors, each session includes up to 15 courses a day which could include anything from yoga, singing and sailing to art, salsa and lifestyle choices, so there is little risk of being bored. In Atsitsa Bay’s delightful community – 30 to 80 people at a time – guests are actively encouraged to challenge themselves by stepping outside of their comfort zones. The sense of community and solidarity cultivated on site allows participants to feel that they are truly amongst friends and the atmosphere of trust this generates, and sense of liberation this in turn embues, enables even the most timid to feel comfortable trying some of the many new things on offer.

An Atsitsa Bay holiday is unlike any other holiday – it is for anyone but not for everyone! However, for those that really want a taste of what life can be like when they leave behind stale routines and the stresses of everyday life, a trip to Atsitsa is essential. Skyros will be kicking off its season in Atsitsa at the end of this month with a line up including stand-up comic Alison Goldie, Singer/Songwriter Tsivi Sharrett and Life Coaching guru Ernie Woolf.

Skyros, ‘the first and still the best’ holistic holiday, was established thirty years ago. It runs holidays in Greece, Thailand, Cambodia and Cuba and also weekend workshops in the Isle of Wight.

For more information please contact Yannis by email yannis@skyros.com or visit the website www.skyros.com.

A Stunning Retreat For All The Family

Hafod Cae Maen is a luxurious Edwardian villa, offering breathtaking views over the Dwyryd Estuary to the mountains beyond. Situated high above the famous Portmeirion village on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, the villa has been lovingly restored and offers a truly relaxing holiday for those who wish to leave the car untouched, stroll through sub-tropical woodlands and picnic on a deserted beach, or curl up with a book beside the library fire. Hafod Cae Maen is the perfect retreat for those who crave privacy and for children who seek fun and adventure.

The house

Inside Hafod Cae Maen you’ll find a sumptuous drawing room with toys, games and a wood-burning stove. On the same floor is the library containing wood panelling designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis which has an open log fire, cosy chairs to curl up in, a piano for a good ole singsong after dinner and a study with Internet access.

The kitchen/dining room has everything and more to make your stay perfectly perfect with its own wood-burning stove and double-doors opening onto the stunning garden. There is also a snug where the kids can hide to give the grown ups a bit of peace and quiet.

The first floor has two king-size bedrooms, two twin bedrooms plus two family bathrooms. The master bedroom houses a sumptuous four-poster bed and a balcony, perfect for watching the sunset over Portmeirion over a gin and tonic.

The Gardens

Hafod Cae Maen is set in two acres and can only be reached by a private road. The gardens look down over the forested edge of the Dwyryd Estuary and beyond to the remote Rhiniog mountains.

The house is not overlooked and the owners live off-site making this a truly relaxing holiday for those wanting complete privacy. The south-facing garden features a large table and outside parasol, perfect for Al Fresco dining.

The Area

The house is within walking distance of two highly recommended restaurants and three cafés in the famous village of Potmeirion, where the popular pottery is still created today.

A deserted beach offers safe swimming at low-tide and for train enthusiasts Boston Lodge Halt for the Ffestiniog narrow-gauge steam railway, is a ten-minute walk from the house.

There are golf courses galore within a short drive of the house and rock climbling or beautiful mountain walks at Tremadog. Greenwood Forest Adventure Park with fun rides and activities galore is another way to keep the badgers amused and Anglesey Sea Zoo is a mega aquarium which will enthuse and educate all ages about life under the sea. Castles Harlech, Caernarfon, Conwy and Beaumaris will keep the cultured crowd happy and all are within spitting distance of the house.

The cost

It costs from £1300 per week, or £600 for a mid week break (Mon – Fri) or £700 for a weekend stay (Fri – Mon). Contact info@historichouseretreats.com  / 07776 259768 or look at the site www.historichouseretreats.com

A new hotel opens in London’s West End.

Two Victorian town houses have been converted into the Sanctum Soho at a cost of just under £10 million.

The 30-guestroom boutique hotel has an underground cinema and a ground floor restaurant that seats 60 diners. There will also be resident-only bars and a private rooftop garden with an alfresco Hydro Spa.

The hotel’s treats for guests includes Miller Harris scented candles, Myla underwear and swimwear menus for him and he,r as well as Jimmy Jane intimacy kits. There will also be a Nike shoe menu and temporary membership to The Third Space health and fitness centre can be arranged.

The 45-seat Cinema at Sanctum will be for residents and their guests, or private party hire. It will have its own bar and removable furniture.

The room can also be converted into a meeting and function space for up to 100 people.

The Sanctum’s restaurant No.20 will serve British comfort food throughout the day and afternoon tea.

Room rates start at £145 for a crash pad or £260 for a superior double, based on two people sharing.

Sanctum Soho
20 Warwick Street, London W1B 5ND
Tel: +44 20 7292 6100
Website: www.sanctumsoho.com