Jetsettersblog

Poised to open in November 2009, Algodon Mansion is in the heart of the Recoleta, Buenos Aries’ chic embassy and luxury hotel district.

Once a private residence, the Mansion was built in 1912 in a French Classical design.

Ten spacious suites–some exceeding 1,200 square feet–epitomize old-world Argentina but provide state-of-the-art luxuries, including 24-hour butler and concierge service, a fine-dining restaurant serving Argentine and French-fusion cuisines, a wine cellar, library bar, a covered outside patio and fireplace, and a rooftop pool, sauna, spa and bar.

A dramatic four-story waterfall stretches from the roof to the ground floor lobby and can be viewed from virtually every suite.

Tip: Sampling the wine is a must. The cellar features wines from the Mansion’s sister project, Algodon Wine Estates, in Mendoza, “the Napa Valley of Argentina.”

www.algodonmansion.com

Off Season Values for Groups ~ 10% Savings off the Bottom Line now until April 30, 2010

Newport, RI – The Hotel Viking announces a 10% off season value for groups of 10 or more now until April 30, 2010.

“Steeped in history and tradition, the Hotel Viking understands the need for financial conservatism in these unsteady economic times,” states Mark Gervais, general manager. “We go that extra mile to make sure meetings get off the ground, even if it means tightening our belt. We won’t sacrifice service though.”

Now until April 30, 2010, groups requesting the “10% off the Master Account” will receive just that. The minimum is 10 rooms per night. Meeting must take place by April 30, 2010 and is valid for new bookings only. Discount does not apply to tax or service charge.

For more information please call 401-848-4800 or visit www.hotelviking.com

The Hotel Viking’s award-winning convention and banquet facilities (the Hotel Viking was voted as one of the top 50 meeting hotels in the Northeast by Meetings East Magazine) include over 13,000 square feet of flexible function space – 10 rooms total.

In addition to over 6.2 million in recent property renovations for guest rooms and suites, the Hotel Viking has given all of its much sought-after meeting and banquet spaces a facelift with elegant new wall coverings, carpet and floor length draperies.

Whatever your meeting, presentation, entertainment, or banquet requirements, the Hotel Viking will exceed your expectations in a professional and efficient style.

All meeting rooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access.

For events with an historic setting, the Bellevue Ballroom is the ideal choice. Restored to its original grandeur, this splendid room is where you will find the perfect wedding reception or corporate setting.

The 5,880-square-foot Viking Ballroom is divisible into nine different space configurations. The beautiful, 4,032-square-foot Bellevue Ballroom offers a blend of historic charm and modern sophistication. And the rooftop offers a scenic and refreshing outdoor alternative, in season.

The Hotel Viking’s professional Conference Service Managers are on hand to coordinate every detail, including on-site audio/visual, equipment rentals and meeting production.

The Hotel Viking’s award-winning commitment to excellence and culinary expertise make it the perfect choice for corporate events, small board meetings, sales conferences, full conventions and incentive retreats. For the environmentally conscious, The Hotel Viking even offers Green Meetings packages.

Located at the top of the Spanish Steps, Il Palazzetto and the International Wine Academy of Roma were created by the owner of the nearby Hotel Hassler and share one of the most spectacular hideaways in Rome … the same area where the spectacular banquets of Lucullus took place.

Built in the 16th century, Il Palazzetto was for many years the retreat of a noble Roman family.

An architectural jewel of rare beauty and historical value, Il Palazzetto has only four guest rooms and includes a recently refurbished restaurant and wine bar, as well as two terraces that serve lunch, dinner and evening cocktails.

Tip: Rates drop to €250 in January and February when tourists are more scarce (compared to €360 in May, June and July).   www.ilpalazzettoroma.com

When Fouquet’s Barrière opened in 2006, it was the first palace-style hotel to open in Paris in almost 80 years (the George V was the last in 1928).

A unique combination of modern-chic and fin-de-siécle grandeur, Fouquet’s was designed by architect Edouard François in traditional Paris Haussmann style, with Jacques Garcia overseeing the interior design.

Decadent materials of velvet, mahogany, marble, silk and embroidered leather fuse with high-tech digital equipment and personal butlers are assigned to each guest upon arrival.

Tip: A “Paris C’est L’Amour” package includes a one-hour photo shoot with a black and white photographer to recreate the famous Robert Doisneau photo called Le Baiser (The Kiss), circa 1950. Guests are even treated to a makeup session. www.fouquets-barriere.com

Water Park Attractions Await Visitors of All Ages

KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Jamaica has some of the most beautiful and relaxing beaches, but those looking for a water adventure of a different sort will want to visit one of Jamaica’s six extraordinary water parks.

The island’s water parks and beaches are great for families that want to cool off any time of the year.

“Jamaica offers some of the best water parks in the Caribbean,” said John Lynch, Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board. “These parks offer something for every age and excitement level, whether it’s a kiddie pool or special play area for the younger children, lazy river for those who prefer to take it easy, or tall and zooming waterslides for more adventures children, teens or even adults.”

The island’s six water parks are found on its most popular resort regions, where every member of the family can splash around and let out their inner child during a day of carefree fun.

Kool Runnings Water Park in Negril features ten exciting water slides, some which tower up to 40 feet tall, and each with a truly Jamaican name; Captain Mikie’s Coconut Island, an interactive children’s play area; a lazy river and more. Guests who work up an appetite can seek refuge at the one of the park’s three restaurants, juice bar or sports bar. www.koolrunnings.com

Sunset Beach Resort & Spa in Montego Bay offers its visitors the Pirate’s Paradise Water Park where they can drift along Blackbeard’s Lazy River, relax on Buccaneer Beach or explore Caribbean Pirate’s Paradise Fort which features a 40-foot high Pirate’s Plank Bridge, two rooftop Jacuzzis and two 40-foot tall shooting waterslides. Children can also commandeer a pirate ship, which boasts a kid’s section with a swimming pool and slide. www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com

The Lighthouse Waterslide at Sunset Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios houses two 60-foot tall water slides. An enclosed slide sends guests zooming down into the park’s swimming pool, while an open slide deposits riders right into the Caribbean Sea. Additional features include five pools with waterfalls, outdoor Jacuzzis and a rope bridge. www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com

At Sugar Mill Falls, located at Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, visitors can spend the day splashing through cascading waterfalls, a 280-foot thrill slide, relaxing lagoons, a lazy river and three terraced pools.

The jungle garden lets adventurers explore a suspension bridge, faux rock formations, and replicas of the aqueducts of the former Rose Hall Plantation. The hotel provides a variety of entertainment, including “dive-in” movies, live music, activities and games, a children’s section and poolside food service at two swim-up bars. www.rosehallresort.com

Beaches Negril Resort & Spa’s Pirate’s Island Water Park is an 18,000 square foot water park that features two exciting water slides spiraling more than 200 feet each. Pirate’s Island Water Park features water cannons, arched bridges, whirlpools, a splash deck, misting pool, and a meandering lazy river for smooth sailing. www.beaches.com

Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club’s Pirate’s Island Water Park includes a 27,000 square foot Pirate’s Island themed aqua-playground with six kiddie slides – including one “group” slide – plus three slides just for teens and adults: one tube slide, one body slide and one speed slide. The water park also features a Pirate-themed kid’s zone and a zero entry kiddie pool that includes a misting crab, a squirting sea turtle and a splashing seahorse. www.beaches.com

To learn more about the variety of water parks found in Jamaica, or to book your trip, go to www.visitjamaica.com

The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino unveiled the new “YouTube Concierge.”

The resort has expanded the role of one of its staff members to incorporate this position with the goal of helping hotel guests share their vacation experience with those back home via free online video postcards.

s part of their daily routine, the YouTube Concierge spends time each day around the resort offering guests the chance to record a quick 30-second video, free of charge, which can be sent to friends, family or co-workers back home.

The video clip will be shot, formatted with a professional opening and closing and uploaded to the “San Juan Marriott Live” YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/sanjuanmarriottlive   for guests to share.

The YouTube Concierge records a guest’s video clip with a professional handheld digital recorder. The guest provides written consent to post the video on YouTube and is given a card with the URL to find their video.

By 5 p.m. that evening, they can visit the dedicated YouTube Channel to view their video and share it with friends and family.

(The optional resort fee includes 30 minutes of free computer/Internet access at the hotel’s business center, which guests can take advantage of to send their video postcard to friends and family).

The YouTube Concierge will capture families, couples and friends.

For more information about the YouTube Concierge or the San Juan Marriott Resort, call 888-817-2033 or visit www.marriottsanjuan.com

Base London has announced the launch of its online Gentlemen’s Club, which aims to entertain and educate its customer base.

Base London has expanded its e-commerce site to incorporate an online Gentlemen’s Club aimed at entertaining and educating their loyal customer base and giving them the opportunity to interact directly with the brand.

A variety of ‘rooms’ in the Gentlemen’s Club play host to elements of interest to the Base London target market including competitions, videos and reviews along with fashion and style tips educating the customer on key looks for the season and what to wear to which social event.

Once in the Gentlemen’s Club the visitor has the opportunity to enter a selection of ‘rooms’ such as the Video Lounge, screening the choice cuts of the best videos on the net, and the Comedy Club which offers some witty one liners and classic quips. The Trap Door reviews a variety of subjects ranging from weird restaurants to the latest movie releases while a Games Room offers the chance to win a pair of the latest Base London mens shoes.

The Base London Gentlemen’s Club also features a Dressing Room section that advises customers on how to pull of the latest looks and a Street Style section that spots Base London customers on the streets from around the UK. The Base London Gentlemen’s Guide also offers some handy tips for men, with topics ranging from how to impress your boss to pub magic.

Customers can find everything they need to know about the latest Base London formal, semi formal and casual shoes as well as pairing shoes with situations, with all products available to buy in the Base London Online Shoe Shop.

About Base London

Base London was founded in 1995 after a niche was spotted in the market – branded fashion formal shoes for the high street. Previously consumers had the choice of own label or exclusive designer names with nothing in between.

The Base London Brand was launched at around the same time as the lads’ mags hit the shelves for the first time. These provided the perfect platform to talk directly to the target audience.

Keeping in line with consumer needs, the footwear range was expanded to include more casual styles.

Base London rapidly earned an excellent reputation for high quality, affordable men’s designer shoes and remains market leader in this arena.

Base London has received public commendation in the form of numerous finalist nominations in the Footwear Brand of the Year category of the FHM/Drapers Footwear Brand Awards.

The company has actually gone on to win the award a remarkable 3 times – more than any other fashion brand has achieved.

Website: http://www.baselondon.com

Kuka Robotics Corporation announced the usage of the RoboSim 4-D Simulator ride system as part of a new exhibit at Innoventions in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The addition of the RoboSim 4-D Simulator is an expansion of Kuka’s current presence at Innoventions at Epcot. Kuka currently sponsors Rockin’ Robots — a 2,000-plus-square-foot interactive exhibit allowing guests to conduct a robotic band located in the Innoventions West building.

The Kuka RoboSim 4-D Simulator creates a four-dimensional experience through 3-D robotic motion and “wind” by controlling air movements to stimulate the senses providing a more realistic simulation experience involving high speeds, quick direction changes and different climates for a unique sensation.

The appeal of the two-seat simulator is that it does not fully enclose the rider, but allows the rider’s legs and feet to be suspended.

The spherical carbon-fiber hood, which is integrated as part of the unique Kuka RoboCoaster ride system, immerses the rider into a true sensory experience by using high definition video combined with stereo sound and controlled air motion.

The RoboSim 4-D Simulator is TÜV certified and includes safety devices such as smoke alarms and temperature monitoring. Video cameras and microphones allow

RoboSim operators to monitor passengers at all times.

For more information, visit www.innoventions.disney.com

Located on 10 acres of parkland on the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, the Beau-Rivage Palace is considered by many to be the finest hotel in Switzerland.

The Beau-Rivage wing opened in 1861 and was joined by the Palace wing in 1908.

Today this grand palace hotel has 169 individually decorated guest rooms, including 33 suites and 21 deluxe rooms, along with the sleek Cinq Mondes Spa, two bars and three restaurants.

Tip: Guests should book a table at the new restaurant, Anne-Sophie Pic at the Beau-Rivage Palace, when they make their room reservations. Chef Pic is the only female chef in France with three Michelin stars, so this is a hot reservation. www.brp.ch

Located on the magnificent west coast of Ireland in County Mayo, Ashford Castle is set on 350 acres of beautiful gardens and secluded woodlands.

Once the country estate of the Guinness family, the sprawling castle dates back to 1228 and was transformed into a hotel in 1939.

The 83 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, some tucked into turrets and others with canopy beds and fireplaces, offer spectacular views of gardens, the River Cong or Lough Corrib.

Country sports abound and there is even Ireland’s first school of falconry.

Tip: The Ashford 70 package covers three nights for the price of two with breakfast for two each morning, one dinner for two and a bottle of champagne for guests celebrating a 70th birthday, combined ages that add up to 70 or a 70th anniversary. www.ashford.ie  Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature about Ashford Castle.