Jetsettersblog

Orascom Development Holding creates unique new experience in Egypt’s premier Red Sea resort destination

A luxury new sporting complex offering world-class facilities is being built in the magnificent desert setting of award-winning El Gouna – often called the Venice of the Red Sea.

The lavish, private gated resort has been developed with Brits in mind – looking for the ultimate getaway.

Located just moments from the Red Sea and marina, Ancient Sands will provide a haven for visitors offering a range of facilities to suit every style and pace.

The complex will boast an 18-hole par 72 championship golf course designed by world renowned golf architect Karl Litten, which is the second expertly designed course in El Gouna.

A tranquil spa treatment centre, swimming pools, a plush Golf Club Estate House, restaurants, chic bars and lavish apartments are also being planned.

Built by a subsidiary of Orascom Development Holding (ODH), in conjunction with IFB Resort Developers, Ancient Sands has been carefully landscaped to fit in with the destination’s natural contours and magnificent surroundings.

The first phase of the luxury development will open in December 2011.

“The Ancient Sands Resort is a welcome addition to El Gouna. It will be built to uncompromising standards to provide a unique experience for all”, says Mayar Abdel Aziz, VP Destinations Marketing, ODH.

“The range of facilities it will provide will add to the large number of exciting services El Gouna already offers its guests.”

“Creating Ancient Sands Resort provides us with the opportunity to work with Orascom to create a resort that is the best the Egyptian Red Sea Coast has to offer,” says Jeremy Sturgess, IFB Executive Chairman.

El Gouna boasts a breathtaking mountain backdrop and is spread across unspoilt islands, lagoons and ten kilometres of white sandy beach.

It is the Red Sea’s premier destination, offering year-round sunshine and providing first-rate amenities for both residents and visitors.

It is also home to award winning architecture and is renowned as Egypt’s most environmentally friendly resort.

Holidaymakers planning to travel this summer should take out insurance policies with Insurefor.com to ensure they are covered for Swine Flu.

Unlike many other insurance companies Insurefor.com DOES offer protection for its clients should they catch the disease.

The broker is offering advice to travellers about what they should do:

Check to see if you policy covers you for Swine Flu
-If it does not call Insurefor.com immediately and they will quote you for a comprehensive policy
-Policies should be taken out before you book a holiday in case you contract the disease prior to travel – that way you can claim back any lost expenses if you are unable to travel

Insurefor.com’s policies cover clients who have to cancel their holiday as a result of contracting Swine Flu, furthermore the policies will also cover you should you need medical assistance while travelling or need repatriating.

Insurefor.com recommends that all travellers consult the Foreign & Commonwealth Office prior to travel on www.fco.org.uk. For terms and conditions on this policy please visit www.insurefor.com  or call 0844 482 0662.

Insurefor.com’s insurance policies start from just £7.19 per adult for a single trip European policy. Other benefits include Supplier Failure Cover, Strike Cover and Redundancy Cover, plus all the usual levels of protection for medical, lost baggage and delays.

For further information about individual cover, please contact Insurefor.com by calling 0844 482 0662

or visit www.insurefor.com

Five-Star CuisinArt Resort & Spa Unveils The First Phase Of Villas By CuisinArt With Special Introductory Offer

Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla – CuisinArt Resort & Spa is proud to announce the debut of Villas By CuisinArt, the property’s new beachfront and garden view villas that provide the ultimate backdrop for luxury vacationing.

The first phase of Villas By CuisinArt showcases three beachfront 3-bedroom stand-alone villas, each boasting its own private-entry courtyard, private outdoor patio with private pool and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea.

The second phase will offer three 5-bedroom garden-view villas, which can be booked as 2- or 3-bedroom accommodations.

To celebrate the launch of Villas By CuisinArt, the resort is extending its Smart Summer Stay offer, which includes complimentary one and two night stays, to villa guests.

Guests who make a three-night reservation in any of the new Villas By CuisinArt will receive the fourth night at no additional cost.

Also, guests who make a reservation for five nights are asked to stay the week, receiving two extra nights at no additional cost. This exclusive introductory offer is valid through December 18, 2009. Summer rates in the new beachfront villas start at $2,800 per night.

Boasting master suites complete with solariums, two additional private guest suites, full state-of-the-art kitchens, plus expansive living and dining areas, the new three-bedroom villas are shattering all preconceived notions of what makes up a luxury travel experience. In addition to full access to all the resort’s services and facilities, guests staying at Villas by CuisinArt also receive complimentary amenities such as pre-arrival concierge service, VIP airport or ferry transfers, exclusive in-villa check-in and full American breakfast.

For an additional charge, services such as a private chef, full-time nanny and private villa butler can be arranged.

CuisinArt Resort & Spa, a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World, is a five-star, award-winning resort on the unspoiled Caribbean island of Anguilla. Nestled along Rendezvous Bay, the resort offers 93 luxurious accommodations and three luxury villas on pristine beachfront property. The unique architecture is inspired by the Greek island of Mykonos and creates a visually stunning contrast against the sparkling turquoise waters and exquisite white sand beach. With the recently expanded world-class Venus Spa, new oceanfront villas, inspired cuisine including an exclusive Chef’s Table and Wine Cellar, breathtaking views, and the world’s only resort-based hydroponic farm, CuisinArt Resort & Spa provides an unrivaled Caribbean experience.

For additional information on CuisinArt Resort & Spa or to make a reservation, please call (800) 943.3210 or visit www.cuisinartresort.com

Newly Opened Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa to be first Summit Hotels & Resorts member in the Philippines

Summit Hotels & Resorts™, a brand of Preferred Hotel Group™, is pleased to announce its newest member in the Philippines – Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa. The collection includes more than 150 internationally acclaimed hotels and resorts that celebrate local luxury.

Recently opened in July and built on an 8 hectare area by the beach, the luxurious Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa is situated along the white sandy shores and pristine blue waters of Mactan Island. It is a convenient 15 minutes to the Mactan International Airport, and 30 minutes from the city of Cebu. Incorporating a waterpark that is unique to Cebu, this includes themed pools such as a Wave Pool, Amazon River Pool, Tide Pool and three varieties of slides providing fun filled water activities for all ages.

All 557 rooms including suites and villas feature either breathtaking ocean or mountain views. The villas come with either a private pool or a Jacuzzi with four family villas accommodating for up to eight persons. In addition to the waterpark, outdoor pool and a fitness centre, recreational facilities include watersports such as diving and snorkeling .

For well being, the 570 sqm. Caracalla Spa with 9 spa suite rooms and 11 treatment rooms offer international and local treatments. Alternatively, in-room massage service is also available.

The resort features eight restaurants offering a wide range of cuisine ranging from Korean, Chinese to the freshest seafood in a picturesque seaside location. MICE facilities include 4 collapsible meeting rooms and a grand ballroom that can seat up to 600 persons with high speed internet broadband access.

“Cebu is one of the most popular shorthaul resort destinations for the North Asia and South East Asian markets. The brand new Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa under our Summit brand is a significant addition to the destination’s offering with its extensive range of accommodation, MICE and amazing recreational facilities,” said Mark Simmons, Area Managing Director – Asia, Preferred Hotel Group.

“Having worked with Summit Hotels & Resorts at our sister hotel in Seoul, we trust that this partnership will greatly benefit our newly opened Cebu property with global exposure and business from the leisure, corporate and MICE sectors,” said Amando Huh, General Manager, Imperial Palace Watermark Resort & Spa.

Amore information, please visit www.iprefer.com

You don’t come to Queensland’s Lady Elliot Island if you’re looking for five-star comforts – what you do come here for are the six-star natural attractions, discovers Jessica Reid.

Arms spread wide I mirror the arches and motions of the two metre manta ray swimming gracefully below me.

Oblivious to everything else, a black flicker catches the corner of my eye and I realise I am surrounded by a group of mantas dancing fluidly from the water’s surface to the sandy ocean floor below.

“We counted about 50,” our skipper Clinton Ansell from Lady Elliot Island Resort declared once I climbed back onboard.

“These south-westerly winds might make the boat a bit rocky, but they’re perfect conditions for attracting the mantas,” he said.

And really, I’ll happily put up with a wave or two when we’re snorkelling only 30 metres off shore and surrounded by some of the most majestic and mysterious creatures of the underwater world.

So mysterious in fact that at the time of our visit to the island, we were also joined by a group of researchers from the University of Queensland and Earthwatch who had just begun a five year research project.

Head researcher Cathy Townsend said that so little is known about manta rays so their study aims to discover why they’re such regular visitors to Lady Elliot Island.

At only 40 hectares, flying onto tiny Lady Elliot Island – the southernmost anchor of the Great Barrier Reef – feels a little precarious. Thankfully the island’s surrounding coral lagoon and dozens of manta rays provide quite a stunning distraction.

It’s not just the manta rays however which are the island’s pride and joy. While the rays are such frequent visitors (they are even on the island’s logo) the resort’s new solar hybrid power station is now sharing the spotlight.

So passionate are the staff about saving the Great Barrier Reef environment that they now offer a behind the scenes tour where guests can learn all about the island’s water, waste and energy practices.

Laurie Marsden, Lady Elliot’s official ‘Minister for Technical Services’ has been working on the island for three years and said the new solar hybrid power station had cut diesel use by 70 per cent.

“We were hoping for a 40 per cent reduction by mid-year, but already we’ve hit 70 per cent and it’s our goal to make the use of diesel on Lady Elliot obsolete by this October,” Laurie said.

That would make Lady Elliot Island the first Great Barrier Reef Resort Island to have 100 per cent solar-powered operations.

The island’s desalination plant means water use is closely monitored; fridges and other in-room appliances are only turned on if a guest requires them; and the resort’s basic accommodation is what you would expect of an eco-friendly resort, with the added bonus of being only a few steps from the sandy shore and incredible marine life, whichever room you stay in.

Choose from permanent tents with shared bathroom facilities, Shearwater rooms with three bunk beds, Reef or Garden units with queen beds (some also have bunks), or one of five two bedroom beachside suites.

From the verandah of my reef suite, I can look out at the glistening coral reef, which I later discover from a closer perspective on a reef walking tour with our guide Jess Howard.

“In my 18 months on the island, I have never seen this on a day reef walk!” exclaims Jess. Referring to the dwarf lion fish which has just poked its head out of some branching coral, Jess is clearly excited by the find.

“That’s what I love about my job… you never quite know what you’re going to see and find out here on the reef,” she said.

And as we walk carefully in the knee deep lagoon, I’m amazed to learn all about the hundreds of sea cucumbers, various different types of coral, sea urchins, clams, sea hares and sea stars that we spot along the way.

Later when I don my flippers and snorkel and step offshore into the ‘Coral Gardens’ site, I find myself noticing all sorts of creatures and coral that I’m sure I would have otherwise missed.

And just as I’m about to swim back to shore one of the island’s other famed residents, the loggerhead turtle, glides gracefully beside me waving its fins to head further offshore, or as I like to think, waving me good-bye from this pristine natural environment.

FACT BOX:

Getting there:

Scenic flights are available to Lady Elliot Island from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay and Bundaberg for overnight guests and day trippers.

Cost: Prices start at $158 per night for the eco cabins. Transfers are an additional cost.

More information: www.ladyelliot.com.au  and www.bundabergregion.info

Australia’s newest luxury resort, Peppers Coral Coast Resort at Airlie Beach is the Whitsunday mainland’s first full-service five-star apartment resort.

Peppers Coral Coast offers a range of 102 beautifully-appointed one, two, and three bedroom apartments, panoramic views, a stunning wet-edge resort pool, fine-dining Tides Restaurant & Bar plus an Endota Day Spa. Overlooking the new Port of Airlie and Whitsunday islands, the resort has been purpose-designed for north Queensland’s tropical lifestyle with wide, breezy verandahs and strong nautical motifs including shiplap boards, giant portholes and striking stainless steel rims.

www.peppers.com.au/Coral-Coast

Historic Maryborough on Queensland’s Fraser Coast has welcomed two stylish accommodation choices to town – a new B&B and a restored Queenslander.

Tin Peaks B&B is located minutes from Maryborough’s CBD and 30 minutes drive the whale watching paradise of Hervey Bay. Nestled within a koala habitat, the open plan house is ideal for couples or family groups and the verandah overlooks peaceful, landscaped gardens. www.tinpeaks.com.au. Eco Queenslander is a fully-restored Queenslander house located in Maryborough.

Fully self-contained with modern facilities, many original features have been retained in the restoration, including fretwork, polished timber floors, French doors, high moulded ceilings, windows with elaborate glass and a claw-foot bath. The owners also speak French and Spanish.

www.ecoqueenslander.com

The luxurious Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg owned and operated by the legendary Orient-Express is pleased to announce the re-opening of its ten historic suites after a painstaking restoration project.

Located on the hotel’s Historic Floor, each suite has its own Russian historic name, with an interior to match, and reflects the rich history of both the hotel and St. Petersburg. Themes include Pavarotti, Stravinsky, Faberge and Romanov.

All of the suites are spacious, with an area of 55 to 97 square metres, and 4.3 metre-high ceilings. Each has a vestibule, a living room, a bedroom and a large bathroom. Their windows look out onto the most picturesque spot in the historic centre of St. Petersburg – Arts Square, with its monument dedicated to the great poet, Alexander Pushkin, and the building of the Noble Assembly.

The historic suites have retained their original 19th century features and style, thanks to restoration work carried out by French designer Michel Jouannet, who is renowned for his work at Hotel Cipriani in Venice and the Copacabana Palace in Rio-de-Janeiro. The Grand Hotel Europe is classified as a national and cultural landmark and is under a preservation order as a historical monument.

No. 105: The Pavarotti Suite is the room in which the celebrated Italian tenor stayed during his final tour in 2004. This suite has always been a favourite with musicians due to the antique grand piano that stands in the living room.

The interior is stylised in the spirit of the finest opera houses in the world – the Opera Garnier in Paris and La Scala in Italy. The colour scheme is dominated by hues of gold and red, and the bathroom will be finished in contrasting types of black and pink marble.

No. 107: The Dostoevsky Suite is named after Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, who was a frequent guest of the hotel. To capture the mood of this great Russian writer, the designer has chosen tones that are fresh, yet deep and serious. The walls are decorated with wallpaper featuring a 19th century style pattern, and the living room contains a large desk for literary work.

No. 109: The Imperial Yacht Suite is named after the Russian royal yacht, the Derzhava, which stunned contemporaries with the unprecedented opulence of its interiors. Shades of marine colours dominate the colour scheme of the suite, while the bathroom is decorated in green and cream marble.

No. 112: The Faberge Suite is named in honour of the renowned Russian jeweller, Carl Faberge. The interior will be designed in the finest traditions, embodying his works of art. The colour scheme is centred around shades of pink, lilac and golden tones, and the suite is furnished with light, almost white coloured furniture encrusted with precious stones and patina.

No. 113: The Mariinsky Suite is named in honour of the celebrated Mariinsky Theatre and its celebrated guests such as Anna Pavlova and the great choreographer, Marius Petipa. Other illustrious guests connected with the world of music and ballet, who have stayed at the hotel, include; Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitry Shostakovich. The suite is decorated in light blue tones to match those of the interior of the Mariinsky Theatre, and has a theatrical ambience to it.

No. 119: The Stravinsky Suite is named after the great composer Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky, for whom the Evropeiskaya Hotel, as the Grand Hotel Europe was then known, was the first port of call when he returned to Russia 48 years after emigrating. His music is associated with spring and general awakening, and so the interior has joyful hues of spring-like green and the bathroom is also decorated in green marble.

No. 121: The Romanov Suite is named in honour of the Imperial Russian dynasty, members of which regularly frequented the hotel. The last tsar, Emperor Nicholas II, held diplomatic receptions in the hotel. This suite has a truly palatial atmosphere and is furnished with antique furniture featuring decorative gold moulding.

Suite No. 123: The Rossi Suite is named after the architect Carlo Rossi, who is closely linked to the hotel, since he designed both the hotel’s façade and the architectural ensemble of the adjacent Arts Square and Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa, on which the hotel is located. The Rossi Suite is decorated in classic “Rossi” white and yellow – the colours that are used in many of the architect’s masterpieces around St. Petersburg.

No. 125: The Amber Suite is named in honor of the famous Amber room at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, which is often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’. It features warm amber tones, in keeping with its name, and the bathroom is made with pink and yellow marble.

No. 127: The Lidval Suite is named in honour of Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval, one of the greatest architects working in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century, and an outstanding master of the Art Nouveau style. Lidval also helped to redesign the interiors at Grand Hotel Europe from 1908 to 1914. The suite consists of a large living room with a winter garden on a small, glass-covered veranda.

The historic suites start from RUB 51,480 (approx. USD 1,655) per room per night.

For more information on Grand Hotel Europe, visit www.grandhoteleurope.com

V Australia is set to become the first Australian airline to offer chauffeured limousine door to door transport for top tier Business Flexi fare paying Guests travelling in International Business Class.

The new offering will be launched from today and will provide yet another point of difference between V Australia and other trans-Pacific carriers.

Pioneered by V Australia’s sister airline, Virgin Atlantic, limo transfers to and from the airport provide travellers with a convenient, comfortable and stress-free transfer both on the way to their flight and again once they land at their destination.

Virgin Blue Group Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said, “We have been very heartened by the support for V Australia’s International Business Class product and introducing a limo service will provide yet another all-inclusive differentiating benefit for Guests.

We’ve had terrific feedback from travellers who have enjoyed not only our award winning friendly service but in particular, our fully lie flat bed in all aircraft with duvets and PJ’s, the in-flight sit down bar, the ‘eat what you want when you want’ menu and the latest generation user friendly touch screen in-flight entertainment system.”

He added, “The addition of the limo transfer service is about V Australia demonstrating its commitment to going the extra mile. We are eager to ensure our International Business Guests get receive not just greater value but a better overall travel experience from beginning to end by travelling to and from the airport with convenience and hassle free style.”

The chauffeur service will apply to Guests on both departing and arrival legs, within a 60 kilometre radius to the airport in Sydney, Brisbane or from any other Australian capital city if they have a connecting V Australia flight, and a 50 mile radius from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or San Francisco if connecting to V Australia with Virgin America.

V Australia in Australia will use luxury cars for the transfers including limousines, Chevrolet Caprice BMW, Mercedes, Audi A8’s and in the United States, Lincoln Town Cars and SUV’s.

Could you call it a hotel if all the rooms are located in different cities around the world? The ambitious people behind the Hotel Room, which opened it’s first property in the bohemian Kallio district of Helsinki, claims you can.

A one-room hotel, Hotel Room opened its first facilities in the bohemian Kallio neighborhood in Helsinki. As the name implies, the hotel facilities are made up of one fully furnished 30 square meter room with a well-equipped kitchen and funky vintage interior.

“We think that hotel rooms can often be small and uninteresting and are occupied by nondescript “suits”. But our guests have been so great that we want to open the second room in Berlin soon”, says Iina Merikallio, one of the four co-founders of the Hotel Room.

Hotel Room offers a new way to travel and stay for travelers that are weary of interchangeable business hotels featuring synthetic fabrics and an impersonal feel. A stay at Hotel Room is the choice for adventurous people who seek spaciousness and individuality instead of a reception, room service and complimentary hotel stationery.

The hotel is located in Kallio district where the good, the bad and the ugly all live side by side in relative harmony. The neighborhood is home to a vivid bar scene, an array of vintage shops, ethnic restaurants and long-lived local hangouts.

The tram stops right by the hotel, and runs to the city in 15 minutes.

In order to pay homage to the hotel’s neighborhood, Hotel Room No.1 is decorated with specially designed wallpaper called Toile de Kallio. In it’s heart-felt imagery Kallio is seen as a pulsating yet sedate, bohemian and contemporary neighborhood of contrasts where people sleep in the park and cool down in front of the public Harjutorin Sauna after a steaming sauna session. If you like the design, you can even purchase the wallpaper for your own home.

A room for up to two people with free WiFi, a TV and complimentary breakfast on the first morning starts at 120 euro per night. Longer stays are entitled to discounts, with a six night stay costing as little as 65 euro per night.

For more information visit :

Hotel Room at www.hotelroom.fi

For more information :

Visit Finland www.visitfinland.com/au

http://twitter.com/VisittoFinland