Jetsettersblog

An exclusive chance to see the private Japanese garden in the grounds of the Farncombe Estate which is home to the Dormy House Hotel, near Broadway, accompanied by its award winning designer Julian Dowle, are highlights of the hotel’s first ever residential garden tour to be held this autumn.

The Japanese garden was designed by Julian Dowle for Mr Jørgen Philip-Sørensen who has owned the Dormy House Hotel and the Farncombe Estate for over thirty years. Julian was the first garden designer to win 3 gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show, a feat he accomplished in 2005 for his garden “A Soldier’s Dream of Blighty” which was designed with the Chelsea Pensioners and sponsored by Mr Sørensen’s other business interest – Ecover.

Guests will not only be shown around the garden by Julian himself but will also have the chance to hear expert tips on how to make a garden into a show garden in an after dinner formal talk.

Being held over the course of 3 days from Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th September 2009, the residential tour at the 4 star hotel in the Cotswolds will also take in tours of local gardens including the privately owned Kiftsgate, Hidcote Manor, Sezincote and Sudeley Castle.

The £350 cost per person covers all formal meals, accommodation in luxury rooms and transport over the 3-day period from arrival at midday on the Wednesday to departure at 3.00pm on the Friday. Dormy meals are inspired by locally sourced ingredients but rely on tried and tested French techniques. The price also includes an official guide and a talk by a leading professional photographer on how to capture gardens on film.

There is also a special preferential rate offered for guests attending the garden tour wanting to arrive a day before the tour begins or an extra night after the tour comes to an end. Booking early is recommended as places are limited.

Dormy House Sales and Marketing Manager Orazio Pollaci says of the decision to launch the tour: “it’s an exciting new opportunity being offered by the Dormy House, incorporating some of the most beautiful and picturesque gardens to be found in the country, just a stone’s throw away from our doorstep.

There is plenty for other halves to enjoy too, with local walks and sightseeing either locally, or in the nearby historic conurbations of Cheltenham and Stratford”.

The tour also coincides with the launch of the newly built Garden Suite. The Garden Suite features under floor heating, scene setting lighting free WiFi and has access to a garden area at the hotel. It has been designed in Scandinavian inspired neutral tones by hotel director Ingrid Philip-Sørensen.
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A recent refurbishment programme has also seen makeovers of 3 deluxe bedrooms. The hotel now has 9 suites in total contributing to the total of 45 bedrooms.

The Homestead at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, a luxurious sole-use safari villa in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, will welcome its first guests on Aug. 1.

The Homestead has four suites, accommodating up to eight people. Guests at The Homestead have the exclusive use of an open 4×4 safari vehicle allowing them to choose their own schedule – game drives on &Beyond Phinda at any time of the day or night followed by sunbathing next to the large rim-flow infinity pool, relaxing in the spacious sitting areas or, for the more energetic, spending time in the state-of-the-art private gym or enjoying a bush walk with their ranger.

An interactive kitchen provides for informal yet delicious family dining, provided by The Homestead’s private cook.

&Beyond Phinda’s 56,800 acres of pristine wilderness encompass seven distinct habitats offering game viewing opportunities.

In addition to twice-daily game drives, bush walks and river cruises, guests enjoy a range of exciting additional adventures, such as horseback-riding, turtle viewing or scuba diving in the nearby Indian Ocean.

The company also has introduced a new sliding scale pricing structure for The Homestead, ensuring that private luxury in the heart of the African bush is now even more affordable than ever.

Guests are able to book the villa for R25,000 ($3,090) during low season (for 1-4 guests per villa per night) or R35,000 for 5-8 guests; and R35,000 ($4,325) during high season (1-4 guests) or R49,000 ($6,060) for 5-8 guests. &Beyond, formerly CC Africa, owns and operates 46 luxury lodges and camps and creates personalized travel experiences in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya and India.

For more information, visit www.andBeyond.com

The Rezidor Hotel Group announced its 50th hotel in operation and under development in Germany: The Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel, Baden-Baden will be re-branded in July 2009, adding 139 rooms to Rezidor’s rapidly growing portfolio.

“This signing underlines our aim to further grow into depth in our German home market and also to increase the number of conversions we are doing,” said Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of Rezidor. “With our partner Grand City Hotels & Resorts and Mark Hotels & Resorts we are already cooperating at the Radisson Blu Hotels in Stralsund, Bad Reichenhall, Dresden-Radebeul, and with the Park Inn brand in Weimar. We are delighted to add a fifth property.”

As a leading hotel in the spa town of Baden-Baden, the Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel features 139 rooms (including four suites) and seven conference and banqueting rooms. Food and beverage offerings include the “Parkrestaurant” (serving international and the famous regional cuisine from Germany’s South-West), a summer terrace serving regional specialties and the British-styled “Jockey Bar.”

Built in 1638, the property was originally a Capucin Monastery, converted from 1805 to 1809 to become a hotel. In 1983, the hotel was extended through the addition of a second building and most recently, a modern spa and wellness center was completed in 2000. The hotel’s spa and wellness center offers two swimming pools — one indoor and one outdoor — saunas, solarium, a fitness room and medical wellness treatments.

In addition, guests can relax in the hotel’s private park. Baden-Baden’s famous thermal spring is located in the hotel’s park and the public spa gardens, Kurpark, are just next to the hotel.

HMS International Hotel GmbH took over a hotel in Alexandria, Egypt, that will fly the Maritim flags. The new five-star Maritim Jolie Ville Hotel Alexandria occupies a prime spot on the Corniche — Alexandria’s famous Mediterranean coastal road — and is 10 kilometers from El Nozha International Airport. Notable landmarks and attractions in the area include the Library of Alexandria, the Shatby Tombs — one of the country’s oldest significant burial sites — and the Royal Jewelry Museum.

The new hotel has 41 luxurious suites and 117 elegant, modernly appointed rooms backed by five-star service. All have high-speed Internet access, telephones with voice-mail, and climate control. Restaurants include the Beach Club on the hotel’s private beach, the Divino Cucina restaurant, the Vienna Café and the Brasserie, serving a selection of local cuisine and international dishes complemented by a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

In keeping with Alexandria’s scholarly tradition, the Library Bar with its adjoining Executive Lounge has been designed for discerning guests who appreciate superior service combined with superb surrounds. Holidaymakers can treat themselves to some well-deserved wellness in the hotel’s comprehensive spa facility and fitness center.

The hotel’s beachfront location is within the heart of Alexandria’s commercial district. Numerous international companies have local offices nearby.

Covering a total of 875 square meters, the hotel has four conference rooms of varying sizes designed to cater to a diverse range of conferences and events.

International travelers have been able to enjoy Maritim’s hospitality expertise in Egypt since 2007. The year marked a dramatic increase in the company’s overseas portfolio when it took charge of three hotels and the International Congress Center in Sharm El Sheikh, as well as a resort in Luxor.

The move by the Egyptian company Jolie Ville to entrust Maritim with yet another property is further proof of their ongoing faith in the German hotel experts. The Maritim Hotelgesellschaft is one of Germany’s leading hotel groups. Its overseas portfolio currently includes hotels in Turkey, Egypt and Latvia, as well as on Malta, Majorca, Tenerife and Mauritius. The group enjoys a worldwide presence through its marketing and sales partner Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc. The company plans on further solidifying its strong position within the European first-class hotel industry through ongoing expansion.

For more information, visit www.maritim.com

Ticket to Ride Worldwide Surfing Adventures provide totally unique GapYear and Career Break experiences that combine travel with learning to surf and globally recognised surf lifesaving qualifications.

As well as taking in some of the world’s most stunning and renowned surfing locations such as South Africa, Mozambique and Costa Rica, Ticket to Ride offers a Gap Year experience focused on developing life-long skills.

From qualifying as SSA Level 1 Surf Instructors and SPA Surf Lifesavers, taking part in Spanish lessons (in Costa Rica), or helping to develop the lives and aspirations of those living in the local communities, Ticket to Ride is designed for those who want to push the boundaries of a typical Gap Year experience.

Set up in 2005 by Linley Lewis and Will Hayler, Ticket to Ride originated with the now classic South Africa adventure course that spans eight unique locations from Cape Town to Ballito, passing through world-class surfing spots such as Jeffrey’s Bay, as well as ‘surf city’ Durban and laid back Coffee Bay.

‘Riders’ will learn to surf and ride some of the world’s best waves but will also have the chance to take part in a wealth of extra activities like visiting Table Mountain and the Cape Winelands, completing the world’s highest bungee or taking part in a quad bike Safari combining adrenaline fuelled action with culture , nature and sport.

The success of the South Africa trip has led to the development of a number of other courses and destinations. The first Mozambique 4×4 adventure was recently completed in April 09 and purpose built 4X4’s were used to transport riders off the beaten track to undiscovered surf spots described in their own words as ‘uncrowded surfing perfection’.

The Mozambique ‘surfari’ is designed for people with moderate to intermediate surf experience and is exploration at its absolute finest.

This adventurous course can also be combined with the signature South Africa programme starting in Cape Town and travelling across ten unique locations all the way up to tropical Tofu on Mozambique’s famous but undiscovered coast.

For those looking to improve their Spanish skills, the tropical paradise of Costa Rica is a surfer’s dream. With warm waters, glassy waves to suit all types and levels of surfing, and the Central American way of life, guests are guaranteed to be left wanting more.

Engaging with the local communities and their cultures is at the heart of the Ticket to Ride travel ethic and TTRide Costa Rica gives guests a valuable experience by teaching English at the local schools.

Additionally there is also the opportunity to take part in an exciting range of extra activities such as snorkelling on the outer Pacific reefs.

For Travellers looking for a full year-long experience, Ticket to Ride has teamed up with ski season specialists Natives.co.uk to bring a cutting edge combination of surfing and skiing, offering back to back seasons for the ultimate gap travel package. Riders choosing this option undertake a one week cooking course with Natives.co.uk, which guarantees a job in an Alps ski resort later in the year and then head to South Africa to complete a Ticket to Ride surfing course. It’s then off to the Alps from November – April, before returning home to the UK with the hope of working as a surf coach using Ticket to Ride’s recruitment service.

Mini Gap

As well as the longer Gap Year adventures, Ticket To Ride recognises that many don’t have the luxury of a extended work/study break so have developed a series of Mini-Gap adventures for those who have a burning desire to travel and learn to surf but on a time or money budget.

The Mini- Gap projects offer well-rounded travel experiences combining focused surf coaching with community projects. Each month-long trip offers the ultimate foundation for Riders who can’t justify a three month break or full Gap Year but who will continue surfing and travelling long after their adventures with Ticket to Ride.

Extreme variety, extreme beauty and extreme entertainment take center stage

Las Vegas, Nev. — Japan’s most acclaimed musical production “Matsuri” signed a one-year contract to entertain audiences six days a week in the Imperial Palace’s Imperial Theater starting July 31. Matsuri has a history of success in Las Vegas, performing an eight-week limited engagement in 2006 and a six-month run in 2007, each time garnering rave reviews.

Represented by EBI Enterprises, Matsuri (Japanese for ‘Festival’) is an action-packed, non-verbal production that showcases extreme athleticism through a series of unique variety acts. The 75-minute high-energy show will feature a cast of 18 Japanese athletes, performing stunts ranging from the “Human Jump Rope” and “Judo Tango” to the “Lion Dance” and “Foot Drums.”

Under the direction of Executive Producer and Director Ushio Higuchi, each act incorporates music, strength, acrobatics, beauty and Japanese culture. Matsuri started as a hit Japanese television program, “Kinniku-banzuke,” created by Higuchi.

The creators then developed the musical stage production that now performs 142 sold-out performances in Japan each year.

“Audiences leave the theater either shaking their heads in disbelief at the amazing skills and stamina of these performers, or grinning from ear-to-ear because of their contagious energy,” said Megan Belk, President of EBI Enterprises.

“We are hoping to really make a name for ourselves not only in Japan and Las Vegas, but worldwide,” said Higuchi. “We feel this is a perfect platform to introduce our show to a global audience and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the Imperial Palace.”

Matsuri opens July 31 and will perform eight shows a week: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 p.m.; Friday at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets for Matsuri are $49.99 and $59.99 for VIP, VIP tickets include prime seating. Tickets are available at the Imperial Palace box office  or by calling (888) 777-7664.

The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa is delighted to announce that the brand new Valley Course, the 18-hole, par-71 Nicklaus Design championship course is now open.

No name is more legendary in golf and course design than Jack Nicklaus.

With the opening of the Valley Course, The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa is Canada’s only resort to offer 37 holes of Nicklaus Course Design. At 6,807 yards, the Valley Course plays at a lower elevation than the 7,212-yard Mountain Course, also designed and inspired by Nicklaus. The Valley Course alternates between 300 and 400 feet above sea level.

Coupled with the uniquely challenging course terrain and unsurpassed natural beauty, Bear Mountain assures its stature among the most sought-after golf destinations in the Americas.

To celebrate the opening of the Valley Course, golfers can experience the new Nicklaus Design Valley Course at The Westin Bear Mountain with the Perfect Round Package and pay rates equal to their golf score for their second night.

The Perfect Round Package is offered at $139 per person and includes a one night stay in a traditional guest room (based on double occupancy) and a round of golf per person.

The required second night stay’s room rate matches the higher score from the players’ golf card as verified by the golf pro.

 To book the package, and for full terms and conditions, please visit www.westin.com/bearmountainspecials and click on ‘hotel offers’ or call 866-716-8101 and mention rate “YOUR1st”

The Valley Course

The Valley course meanders through forest, borders lakes, and traverses creeks and rivers throughout its 18 holes, while offering spectacular views of British Columbia’s beautiful landscape.

In contrast to the existing Mountain course, the par 71 Valley course measures 6,807 yards from the Golden Bear tees – around 400 yards shorter than its sibling.

Factor in elevated tee boxes, more generous fairway widths, fewer bunkers and larger greens and the Valley course will likely be considered a ‘friendlier’ version of the original. Rolling through terrain at elevations of between 300 and 500 feet above sea level, there is still plenty of challenge, and many holes that could be
considered the signature hole.

The Mountain Course

The cornerstone of the Bear Mountain Resort community is the Jack and Steve Nicklaus co-designed Mountain Course, a 19-hole beauty that made its debut in 2003. It was the first Jack and Steve Nicklaus co-designed course on Vancouver Island.

The Mountain Course is a masterpiece, offering challenging terrain and spectacular natural beauty.

A par 72 playing at 7,212 yards, the course takes full advantage of its setting atop a 1,100-foot mountain, exhibiting dramatic elevation changes and awe-inspiring views.

The course has been assigned a slope rating of 152 from the back Golden tees, making it one of the most inspiring courses in North America.

From the Grizzly tees, the course plays 6,744 yards, the Black Tees play 6,345 yards, the Spirit tees play 5,783 yards and the Cinnamon tees play 5,014 yards.

“From the outset, my vision for the resort centered around offering a world-class golf experience with the most notable designers behind it,” said Len Barrie, president and CEO of the Bear Mountain Resort.

“While our community offers the best in resort accommodations and residential living, our goal has always been to create the West’s most renowned golf destination.”

CityCenter, which is slated to open later this year on the Las Vegas Strip, has announced more retail shops and restaurants at the 500,000-square-foot Crystals shopping and dining district, which is slated to open Dec. 3.

Large-format luxury retailers at Crystals include Prada, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Carolina Herrera, Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Versace. These brands will join previously announced retailers Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Ermenegildo Zegna.

Retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas include Tom Ford, Assouline, Kiton, Miu Miu, Paul Smith and Porsche Design, along with the previously announced H. Stern, de Grisogono, Marni, Boutique Tourbillon and Mikimoto.

Other retailers joining Crystals’ lineup include Bally, Emilio Pucci and Ilori. Additionally, Dale Chihuly will introduce a new gallery.

Restaurants opening their first Las Vegas locations at Crystals include Eva Longoria Parker’s Beso and Mastro’s Ocean Club Seafood House.

These restaurants will join a new pub by Todd English and two previously announced restaurants by Wolfgang Puck.

For more information, visit www.citycenter.com

Dorchester Collection property welcomes legendary spin master back to rock the bar on Thursdays and Fridays. And, say, isn’t that DJ Lo spinning on Saturday nights through June…?

(Beverly Hills) – There will be no sitting still at Bar NINETEEN12 at The Beverly Hills Hotel now that DJ Menelik is back at the bar. The legendary spin master, who will headline the Dorchester Collection property’s NEW Summer DJ series, returns to L.A.’s most glamorous watering hole for “the PATIO with DJ Menelik” every Thursday and “Fridays @ NINETEEN12” all season long.

The DJ series has already kicked off and goes from 9:00pm to 1:30am, just in time to mark the two-year anniversary of Bar NINETEEN12.

A fusion of music and fashion who has become an international icon in his field, DJ Menelik spins superbly timed sets of his own music genre called “Hit-Pop,” keeping celebrities, scene makers, trendsetters, and movers and shakers dazzled in his rhythmic wake. Reservations are strongly suggested for the “DJ Night” shows – as is an afternoon catnap for anyone planning to dance late into the night.

Even as Menelik cranks up the rhythms, the prices of Specialty Cocktails have been specially priced at Bar NINETEEN12 – from $18 to $14 per. That’s a refreshingly reasonable price on everything from the Monkey Gland to the Golden Dawn, the Peachy Keen to the Moscow Mule, as well as Bar NINETEEN12’s selection of edible cocktails including “Connecting the Dots” jelly shots and “Martini Popsicles” in apple, watermelon and cherry. (Special prices not applicable to new “DC” Signature cocktails and mocktails.)

Not sure you can make it on Thursdays and Fridays? Bar NINETEEN12 will be gyrating with “Saturdays @ NINETEEN12” through the month of June with the flash-fingered prowess of DJ Lo.

The Florence, Italy-born Lo – a.k.a., Lorenza Calamandrei – is among the sexiest and most creative DJs on the contemporary circuit, having worked alongside influential artists such as Fat Boy Slim and entertained some of the boldest faces in the entertainment industry at exclusive premiere parties including Oscar Night at Soho House in L.A., the Cannes Film Festival and the BAFTAs (the UK equivalent of the Academy Awards). Reservations are strongly suggested for Saturday nights, too.

So, here’s to seeing you soak up the energy while sipping Specialty Cocktails during the new Summer DJ Series at Bar NINETEEN12 at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Summer special rates at The Beverly Hills Hotel start at $395. For more information or to make reservations for the Summer DJ Series at Bar NINETEEN12, please contact 310.273.1912 or visit www.beverlyhillshotel.com

Dorchester Collection

With seven of the world’s foremost five-star addresses, the Dorchester Collection celebrates luxury with hotels of original character and the most modern amenities.

Established as the Dorchester Group in 1996, Dorchester Collection was rebranded in 2006 to develop an impeccable portfolio of traditional and contemporary properties in Europe and the United States.

The current portfolio of owned and managed properties includes The Dorchester, a 244-room hotel long favored by the cream of society in the heart of Mayfair in London; The Beverly Hills Hotel, a glamorous and celebrity-friendly 204-room property on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles; the elegant Le Meurice, a centuries-old, 160-room property located between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre on rue de Rivoli in Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, a 188-room embodiment of Parisian luxury set between Avenue des Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower; and Hotel Principe di Savoia, a cosmopolitan, 401-room property on the Piazza della Repubblica in Milan.

The Dorchester Collection’s newest properties joined in August 2008, including The New York Palace, an icon of Manhattan with the landmark Villard Mansion and a contemporary 55-story tower; and Hotel Bel-Air, a shining star of Los Angeles set on 12 acres in Stone Canyon with 91 guest rooms and the renowned “Swan Lake” inhabited by its own resident swans.

With unrivaled experience and capability, cross-property values of the highest order, and strong company branding that expresses universally high regard for its portfolio, Dorchester Collection assures a consistently exceptional guest experience at all of its hotels. U.S. reservations: 800.650.1842; www.dorchestercollection.com

Though less glamorous, the redband trout, native to much of Idaho, is no less deserving of anglers’ admiration than the state fish, the cutthroat trout, considered by many to be the crown jewel for fishing in the western U.S.

All rainbow trout native to streams east of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington are called redband trout. In Idaho, that means most of the trout in rivers and streams below Shoshone Falls.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the first trout to arrive or evolve in Idaho were cutthroat trout. Redband trout did not invade Idaho until after Shoshone Falls had formed on the Snake River, somewhere between 15,000 and 60,000 years ago. Similar barriers existed in the Spokane and Pend Oreille river basins.

Because redbands had no way of invading these upper watersheds, cutthroat trout remain the only native trout in eastern and much of northern Idaho.

Many anglers might be surprised to learn that redband trout and steelhead are the same species. When they swim to the ocean, we call them steelhead, and when they live in streams their whole life, we call them redband trout. Surprisingly, steelhead can produce offspring that never leave their natal stream, and redband trout can produce offspring that migrate to the ocean to become steelhead.

Biologists don’t really understand what affects the strategy an individual fish chooses.

Redband trout live in a variety of stream habitats in Idaho, from some of the warmest streams in the Owyhee desert to the smallest mountain streams in remote alpine settings of central and northern Idaho. Like most trout, they tend to be small, grow slowly, and reach sexual maturity at five to six inches in small streams, and they may live to be only three or four years old. In larger rivers with better growing conditions, they might reach 16 inches by age four, or live to be 10 years old or more.

Biologists have long suspected that redband trout living in desert streams have special adaptations to withstand high water temperatures. They are known to live in temperatures up to 86 degrees – temperatures usually considered lethal for trout.

Recent studies show that redband trout from mountain streams have the same ability to live in warm streams as their desert cousins, though they rarely use those capabilities since mountain streams are usually much cooler.

Redband trout are revered by anglers for their fighting and jumping abilities once they are hooked. They are also one of the easiest trout to raise in a hatchery. Because of these characteristics, they have been stocked outside their native range more widely than any other species of trout.

But most sources of hatchery trout raised and released in Idaho are rainbow trout from waters along the Pacific Coast range. These coastal rainbows are genetically different from Idaho’s native redband stocks.

Despite decades of hatchery fish stocking, however, hybridization between hatchery rainbow trout and native redband trout is not widespread. Idaho Fish and Game now stocks only sterile rainbow trout so that further hybridization doesn’t occur. Fish and Game biologists have shown that sterile hatchery trout survive as well as other hatchery fish, so anglers never know the difference.

Redband trout can be found in just about any stream in southern or central Idaho and in streams of the Kootenai basin in extreme northern Idaho. They love worms, lures and flies, thus providing a wide variety of tackle choices. To many anglers catching native fish in their natal streams has a reward above and beyond how big the fish are or how many of them end up in the creel.

The redband is easily as important to Idaho’s outdoor heritage as the cutthroat trout, and that should get any angler excited.