Jetsettersblog

Accor announces the arrival of the MGallery label to Vietnam, with the launching of the La Veranda Resort, a member of the MGallery Collection of hotels.

The hotel (currently known as Grand Mercure La Veranda Resort and Spa) will commence using the MGallery label from September 1, 2009, following an extensive brand enhancement process.

MGallery is a collection of highly distinctive, upscale hotels that have exceptional personality through one or more of four principal elements: Vision, Design, History or Location. La Veranda Resort has been selected to join MGallery thanks to its remarkable Location. Today there are 21 MGallery hotels on 5 continents.

La Veranda Resort, the first member of the MGallery Collection in Vietnam, is elegantly situated on the white sandy Duong Dong Beach on Phu Quoc Island, the largest island in Vietnam. The resort is set in tropical lush green surroundings meeting the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

With a design reminiscent of a French colonial seaside mansion, the 43-room and villa La Veranda Resort features dark woods, mosaic tiles, with exposed brickwork and ceiling fans, the hotel is a visit to the days when Vietnam was known as Indochine. Vietnamese touches are evident through the carefully selected decorative items that adorn the corridors and period furniture.

Patrick Basset, Accor Vice President Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea and Japan commented, “MGallery is a label that has been attached to special collection of hotels world wide. These selected hotels are expressive, interesting and attract travelers that place the hotel stay at the centre of their travels. La Veranda Phu Quoc is no exception, offering a unique experience in a memorable setting. Upon the completion of the brand enhancement program, which involves the development new services and rituals and the deployment of a new identity unique to the hotel, La Veranda Resort and Spa will be a worthy addition to the MGallery collection of hotels”

la Table, the hotels restaurant, offers creative and mouth-watering dishes such as ‘Tushi’, which is a harmonious combination of Spanish Tapas and Japanese Sushi using the freshest of local ingredients.

Well-being and rejuvenation treatments at La Veranda Resort are second to none, in the hotels day spa. The spa is spacious, bright, airy and comfortable using products that are 100% natural, with carefully blended oils to stimulate the senses. A wide range of treatments are conducted by a team of professionals.

Phu Quoc Island is a peaceful paradise in Southern Vietnam. It is accessible by a 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). In addition to the tropical beaches and ocean, a majority of the island is dedicated to the national park, home to over 900 plant species and a protected marine environment.

MGallery in Asia – a fine collection

La Veranda Resort and Spa joins 3 other existing distinctive member hotels throughout Asia:

Songstam Retreat at Shangri – La, offers exceptional distinctly Tibetan style accommodation enjoying breathtaking views in Yunnan Province, a remote corner of China. A unique resort, providing a truly memorable experience to visitors to mystical Shangri – La

Vie Hotel Bangkok, is classified in the Design category of MGallery hotels. Located in central Bangkok the hotel achieves boutique elegance through stylish interiors and chic design. Maybe you will sense the former life of the hotel site, which was home to Bangkok’s principal cinema in the 60s and 70s.

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta, steeped in colonial Dutch history, this hotel that was built in the 1918 is located in the city that is home to the Sultanate of Java. A sensory experience, that will have you immersed in the Central Javanese culture from the comforts of this boutique hotel.

The MGallery label in the portfolio of Accor brands

With the new MGallery hotel collection, Accor has developed a dependable upscale offer. MGallery combines the excellence of its service offer within individual establishments with a marked personality to make every guest’s stay a unique experience.

The MGallery collection allows Accor to meet the expectations of discriminating clients who want a hotel that is an integral part of their travel experience, or who wish to enjoy a setting that has a history, an identity and a soul.

Proves It Has The Winning Combination

There’s positive, upbeat news for the property profession as the results of the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2009 in association with CNBC Arabiya have been revealed.

Rightly proud of its success, NAUMI is delighted to announce that it has won an award in the category of Best Small Luxury Hotel-Singapore. Winners will be invited to attend a high profile gala dinner at the Marina Mandarin in Singapore on July 16th where they will be presented with their awards.

The event is part of the International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious competition dedicated to finding the best real estate professionals across the globe. The fact that NAUMI has won one of these coveted awards is proof that cosmopolitan Singapore is not only able to compete at this level but also triumph within the highly competitive Asia Pacific property arena.

Later this year, top scoring winners from the Asia Pacific Property Awards will compete against other winning companies from Europe, the UK, Africa, the Americas and Arabia to find the ultimate World’s Best in each category. Last year, the Asia Pacific region scooped no less than five World’s Best awards – an amazing feat and one which the property industry will be watching with interest to see if it can be matched or even beaten in 2009.

Entries were judged by a panel of professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is second to none and unsurpassed by any other property awards. Chaired by Eric Pickles, chairman of the Conservative Party, this year’s judges included Ben Wood, industry head property markets of Google UK; Peter Bolton King, group chief executive of the National Federation of Property Professionals; Imtiaz Farookhi, chief executive of the National House Building Council; Christopher Hall, president elect of FIABCI; Wilhelm Harnish, Master Builders of Australia (MBA); Thijis Stoffer, International Consortium of Real Estate Agents Association (ICREA); Helen Shield, editor-in-chief of International Homes magazine and Gillian Farr, head of design of Laura Ashley Home.

Ms Adeline Quek, Marketing Manager of Naumi said of the award, “We are extremely elated and proud of this Award; this will certainly boost our esteemed positioning in the luxury hospitality market and motivate our staff to continuously uphold the highly personalised service provided to our guests. ”

Relais & Châteaux is celebrating a landmark year of expansion in Asia with the online launch of its Chinese Website  (www.relaischateaux.cn)

The last year has seen Relais & Châteaux expand in Asia as well as worldwide with the launch of their 2nd edition of the Asia-Pacific Guide, a new design for the International guide, the launch of a Grands Chefs website as well as the addition of several new members in Asia.

Still to come, Relais & Châteaux will also be introducing new call centers for the region in Singapore and Thailand. As well as expanding the Asia-Pacific delegation by adding separate delegations for Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Relais & Châteaux now features an exclusive collection of 480 of the finest charming hotels and gourmet restaurants worldwide, extending to 60 countries. As a result, the Relais & Châteaux website (www.relaischateaux.com ) is also now available in six languages, with the latest being Chinese – allowing Relais & Châteaux to tap into the ever-growing China market.

The last year also saw the launch of the second edition of Relais & Châteaux’s Asia Pacific guide – including thematic itineraries – making the “Route du Bonheur” come alive.

Among around 30 of the latest Asian members to join the prestigious Relais & Châteaux family are Saint Pierre in Singapore, Mahua Kothi and The Malabar House in India, The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives and two leading Japanese hotels, Beniya Mukayu in Ishikawa-Ken and Tobira Onsen Myojinkan in Matsumoto Nagano.

In Oceania, Jacques-Reymond in Melbourne also joins as a prestigious Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, along with New Zealand entrants Mollies in Auckland, Corstorphine House in Dunedin and Otahuna Lodge in Tai Tapu.

As well as the international website, Relais & Châteaux also recently launched the ultimate online guide to the world’s leading chefs and their restaurants.

The website www.grandschefs.com is a benchmark guide for gourmets, showcasing 160 of the world’s culinary elite from five continents — together accounting for over 350 Michelin stars!

The legendary chefs are in cities from New York, Geneva and Sydney to Tokyo, London and Paris — including such eponymous names as Patrick Henriroux in Vienne, Michel Roux Jr. in London and Jean-Georges and Thomas Keller in New York.

Grands Chefs in Asia include Ivan Li in Shanghai, Kiyomi Mikuni in Tokyo and Emmanuel Stroobant in Singapore among others

Jaume Tàpies, International President of Relais & Châteaux, said: “The accolades in the world’s premier restaurant awards confirm our pre-eminence as the finest global collection of hotels and restaurants, while expansion in Asia re-affirms our commitment to create a truly global family.

“Both our brand website and grandschefs.com are tools to promote not only the excellence of Relais & Châteaux but also fine dining around the world.”

ABOUT RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX

Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 480 of the finest charming hotels and gourmet restaurants in 56 countries.

Established in France in 1954, the Association’s mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.

Furthermore, Relais & Châteaux is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony, an unforgettable celebration of the senses.

From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country.
The Relais & Châteaux signature reflects this ambition: “ALL AROUND THE WORLD, UNIQUE IN THE WORLD”.

Information and reservations:
China + 86 21 6279 8170
Shanghai + 86 21 5212 2067
Hong Kong + 852 3121 3616
Australia, New Zealand + 61 2 9299 2280
South East Asia coming soon
Website: www.relaischateaux.com

New York Sightseeing Company Announces New NYC Tours NY SKYRIDE Launches NYC Walking Tours from Empire State Building and Beyond

New York, New York – New York Sightseeing Company NY SKYRIDE, along with Uncle Sam’s New York, has launched two new NYC walking tours sure to please history buffs and pub crawlers alike.

Visitors can now enjoy the heights and sights with a NYC tour called “New York From Up Down and Sideways”.

Ideal for families, this tour runs Fridays & Sundays at 2pm and offers a comprehensive intro to New York City including a virtual tour of the entire city on the NY SKYRIDE located in the Empire State Building along with a travel guide. The tour then FAST TRACKS visitors up to the cloud level observation deck of the Empire State Building and continues on to an escorted tour of NYC attractions including Herald Square, Macy’s department store.

The NYC tour guide will point out many historical buildings and recount interesting stories of the past as the tour proceeds up the Great White Way ending at Times Square.

For the “adult only” set, the Empire State Pub Crawl takes tourists back in time to the 1930s to explore the majestic art deco Empire State Building. Born in the midst of the Great Depression, this 102-story modern marvel, immortalized in movies from King Kong to Sleepless in Seattle, symbolizes the soaring spirit of New York City.

The Empire State Pub Crawl Tour includes the NY SKYRIDE and FAST TRACK express passage to the Empire State Building observation deck. The group then experiences a real brewery in Midtown Manhattan and then proceeds on a guided pub crawl to authentic historical taverns for a magical New York City night.

“These NY SKYRIDE tours bring a new level of discovery to this NYC attraction. Many visitors feel there is so much to see in NYC but don’t know where to start”, says Myron Baer, VP Business Development for NY SKYRIDE.

“Families find the 3.5 hour New York From Up Down and Sideways tour to be all encompassing tours and kids enjoy exploring the city from so many the different levels,” adds Baer.

“The Empire State Pub Crawl is gaining popularity as it allows visitors to enjoy New York City from both a cultural as well as a NYC night life perspective.”

NY SKYRIDE New York Sightseeing tours are priced from $70 and can be purchased online at www.nyskyride.com

About NY SKYRIDE:

Headquartered in New York, Skyline Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. engages in the global development and operation of leading entertainment facilities.

New York Skyline, Inc. owns and operates NY SKYRIDE, offering virtual New York sightseeing tours from the comfort of an Empire State Building theater. New York Skyline maintains a consistent philosophy of providing quality entertainment for the entire family with one of the most distinctive NYC attractions in the city.

ME Cancun, the resort located on the Yucatan peninsula, officially launches SuiteME — a 9,757-square-foot, bi-level suite. Recently home to the cast of “The Real World Cancun,” SuiteME comes equipped with lavish amenities, highly stylized furnishings, sweeping views of the Caribbean, and all the comforts of home.

SuiteME combines comfortable, lavish accommodations with the ability to host large or intimate celebrations, girls’ or guys’ weekends, small corporate retreats or a relaxed getaway in grandiose, extravagant surroundings.

Upon entering the suite, guests are greeted by saltwater fish, held in a spherical aquarium and surrounded by a circular, yellow cushioned seating area. The top floor also features a fully-stocked bar, a purple felt pool table and a deck with blue couches and chaise lounges. An outdoor, spiral staircase winds down to the main level of the suite onto a second balcony and into the main living area.

A hammock for lounging, a high-top table for dining al-fresco and views overlooking ME Cancun’s adult-only pool area make this the most serene of the three balconies.

Adjacent to the “Serene Balcony,” guests will find a living-room space, which transitions into an open-plan, large kitchen surrounded by windows for unobstructed ocean views.

The kitchen comes complete with a refrigerator, full range stove with oven, microwave, coffee maker and cooking utensils.

Guests can eat family style at the blue-glass kitchen table or ask ME Cancun’s chef to create a Mexican masterpiece. ME Cancun’s culinary team is also available to teach Mexican cooking lessons in SuiteME.

Built in the tradition of “Real World” voyeurism, SuiteME’s personality is captured through a number of design elements: a uniquely-placed set of showers; four, deep sink-bowls which face each other and feature a double sided mirror; and a 10-person hot tub.

Enclosed by strategically placed, clouded glass, the showers feature two oversized rain-shower heads in each of the two stalls, handheld power jets, and natural Aveda amenities.

From the foyer above, guests can look down into the 10-person, blue, bronze, and gold mosaic-tiled hot tub.

“The Real World’s” iconic Phone Room adds another voyeuristic element — located adjacent to SuiteME’s living-room, it is enclosed in glass and features an old-style phone, canopy bed, and an indoor garden of local flora. Guests looking for more privacy need not worry: cordless telephones, plasma screen televisions, showers with rain-shower heads and personal vanity areas are available in each of the four guest rooms.

SuiteME boasts “The Playroom,” outfitted with a plasma flat-screen television, which doubles as a computer with complimentary Internet access, iPod docking stations and iPods preloaded with a variety of genres of music.

Games such as Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit and a library of books are available as well as two massage chairs for guests to unwind.

“The Playroom” is also fully game operational with a Nintendo Wii gaming console, Rock Band equipment, and plenty of room for different groups of people to play at the same time. For a quick escape outdoors, “The Playroom” connects to SuiteME’s third balcony called “Balcony X,” with room for 10 to hang out, enjoy cocktails, and take pleasure in the views of the Caribbean.

SuiteME guests have access to all the facilities of ME Cancun including the water ritual pool, the infinity pool and the adult-only pool, the ME fitness center, Yhi Spa, e-space, and the property’s three restaurants — Silk, Salt and Rande Gerber’s Maxim Beach House.

For more information, visit www.ME-Cancun.com

Grand Cayman has another attraction — a $400 million Town Centre in Grand Cayman’s newest community, Camana Bay.

The Town Centre offers a range of entertainment options including high-end shopping boutiques, a state-of-the-art six-screen movie theatre, a book store and coffee shop and a series of free events which support Camana Bay’s mission to encourage a culturally enriched environment for residents and visitors alike.

From the start, the whole of Camana Bay, including the Town Centre, was specifically designed as a gathering center; a new space to live, work and play on Grand Cayman.

Late this summer, the Town Centre’s 75-foot mosaic tiled Observation Tower will open to the public.

The Observation Tower is the only public location for a 360-degree island view and access is complimentary.

Other activities include “Live on The Paseso,” a series of weekly live music concerts, visiting author readings and book signings, children’s activities, an annual children’s literary festival and farmers markets.

To access Camana Bay’s current event calendar visit, www.camanabay.com/PL-entertain-ov.php

Camana Bay’s non-gated community will allow for a range of choices in residences, workplaces, retail shops, and cultural and civic facilities. Camana Bay will be developed in a phased approach. Currently the first phase of Camana Bay is on schedule with the Town Centre open, providing a range of experiences from shopping, entertainment and dining.

For more information, visit www.camanabay.com

The Andel’s design hotel celebrated its grand opening in Lódz.

After decades of standing empty, the former factory, a weaving mill established in 1878 by textile magnate Izrael Poznanski directly next to the Old Town, has been transformed into an example of how historic industrial architecture can blend with modern design.

The four-star hotel was built by the real estate firm Warimpex, listed on both the Vienna and Warsaw Stock Exchanges, and is under management by Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG.

Over the last two-and-a-half years, the architectural firm OP Architekten Ziviltechniker GmbH renovated the red-brick building in line with the guidelines governing the restoration of historic structures and oversaw its careful conversion into a modern 278-room hotel with a spacious conference center.

The interior design is the work of the London-based star designers Jestico + Whiles.

The old pillars and beams were preserved, and the 100-year-old stairs and cast-iron gate were restored to their original splendor.

With its 278 rooms and suites and seven flexible conference rooms, the andel’s Hotel is among Poland’s most modern city and business hotels.

The event facilities also include the glass-enclosed ballroom, one of the largest in all of Poland, on the roof of the new hotel.

Views over the city are available from the pool on the top floor of the hotel as well as from the fitness and health club.

The pool itself is a relic of past times, created out of a 19th century fire water storage tank.

The hotel, located in the Manufaktura shopping, arts and cultural center, is the only four-star hotel in the industrial city of Lódz (population 800,000).

In the past few years, Manufaktura has been Europe’s largest urban revitalization project, receiving numerous awards in the process.

The building has also served as a stage for many international films. Seven years after the opening of the first andel’s Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2002, guests can now choose from among four of the four-star superior design hotels in three countries.

The andel’s Hotel in Cracow, Poland, opened in 2007; the one in Berlin, Germany, opened just three months ago.

For more information, visit www.andelslodz.com  or www.vi-hotels.com

Curaçao is the first island in the Caribbean to have a dedicated iPhone application. “IPhone apps are celebrated as one of the newest and most innovative developments in information and technology, and by launching an iPhone app we are telling consumers that Curaçao is modern, forward-thinking and different,” said Steve Johnson of the Curaçao Tourist Board.

Subscribers to the free Curaçao app will be able to select a treasure or take a photo and bury it in the sand on one of Curaçao’s beautiful beaches.

Then they will send a message to another user that says “I’ve buried a treasure for you on a beach in Curaçao — click here to begin your treasure hunt.” Utilizing the technology of the iPhone, the recipient would then be able to dig through the sand and search the beach.

When they find the treasure icon they will click on it and their “treasure” (the image or treasure sent) will populate the iPhone screen.

For more information, visit www.curacao.com

Members Offer Innovative Family Wellness Packages

Two of Healing Hotels of the World’s African members are offering innovative packages this summer that focus on the well-being of children, as much as of adults: Karkloof Spa in South Africa has a Jenergy programme that is specifically designed for mothers and daughters, while The Retreat in Tanzania has a Laughing with Hippos package that is recommended for all those aged 12 years or older.

Karkloof Spa, recently named the best new discovery of 2009 at the Tatler Spa Awards, is working with the internationally renowned Jenni Rivett, a personal trainer to the stars, who founded her own fitness concept Jenergy, based on personal consultations, personal training and nutrition, in 1990.

Her one-off Jenergy programme for mothers and daughters, which runs from 31 August to 4 September, aims to educate teenage girls to prevent them from falling into the dieting trap and from having unrealistic expectations of themselves. Jenni will spend individual time with the daughters as well as with the mums, leaving them with plenty of bonding time at meals and during spa sessions.

The cost of this five-day programme is South African Rand 15,960 (approx £1,240) per person.

The Retreat in Tanzania has put together a really fun package, Laughing with Hippos, which takes place at The Retreat in the Selous Game Reserve.

Participants will learn all about the behavioural patterns of hippos, before spending several mornings and evenings with them, interacting through laughing sessions. Laughing together unlocks any emotional blockages so that families as a whole have an opportunity to re-connect and learn more about each other.

Guided walks, game drives, camp fire suppers, tracking animals and spa treatments are all part of the package. The cost of this week-long package is US$3,600 (approx £2,360) per person.

Healing Hotels of the World is the leading international holistic and wellness group, which was founded in 2007 to offer a comprehensive collection of luxury hotels specialising in the well-being of guests, while guaranteeing superlative standards of service and facilities.

Anne Biging, Founder and Managing Director of Healing Hotels of the World, said, “We have created this collection in response to the rapid growth of five-star properties incorporating, what were once considered ‘alternative’, health programmes into their spas. Spas are no longer just about beauty treatments or relaxation; they aim to bring long-term benefits to their clients’ health.

“Many travellers today are looking for something more meaningful in their lives; they want to get in touch with their bodies and learn more about the ancient cultures that encouraged holistic knowledge.

“People are also looking for medical facilities in hotels to combine their holiday with health evaluation, screenings and treatments. Health is one of the most precious assets we have and we need to maintain it.”

Before being accepted into the collection, every member of Healing Hotels of the World must have met strict criteria covering every aspect of the property including ambience, staff attitude, healthy food in the rooms as well as the restaurants, and world-class spa and health treatments.

A key service offered by Healing Hotels of the World members is a personal consultation with every guest at the start of their stay to help them focus on their health and to gain maximum benefit from their holiday.

For more information or to book either of the packages above, please visit www.healinghotelsoftheworld.com

Global Publishing Pty Ltd, the publisher of Australia’s oldest travel magazine, Vacations & Travel, is to launch Golf Vacations magazine in Australia and New Zealand in October.

The new quarterly title will be published under licence from Pacom Media of Singapore, where the magazine has been in print for more than 20 years and has since been successfully franchised into Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, China and the Czech Republic.

In a reciprocal arrangement with Pacom and other licencees, Global Publishing will become the Australia/NZ advertising sales representative for the magazine’s other international editions.

Vacations & Travel
“This is an exciting opportunity to fill a niche in the Australian and New Zealand travel publishing markets,” he said. “The play-and-stay golf vacations market in Australia and overseas is expanding and this prestigious new title will become the definitive source of information and advice about premium golf resorts, golf tours, golf products and travel information in locations featured in the magazine.

“It will appeal to an affluent demographic, and with a planned major subscription drive and effective distribution, we have already received indications of strong advertisin support.”

Golf Vacations will have a print run of 20,000 copies, the same 275mm x 210mm format as overseas editions, a minimum 120 pages per issue and a retail price of $8.95. It will be sold through newsagents and NewsLink outlets and be distributed to selected golf clubs, golf resorts, hotels, airline lounges and specialty outlets.