Jetsettersblog

Rydges Hotels and Resorts TNQ are proactively developing business opportunities in Australia’s new and emerging market of health and wellness tourism.

This week Rydges Hotels and Resorts Cairns based properties secured a partnership with Cairns Fertility Centre as preferred accommodation supplier.

In Cairns, Rydges Hotels and Resorts offers extensive accommodation choice and facilities spanning restaurants, recreation and spa services at Rydges Esplanade Resort (240 rooms and 20, two bedroom apartments), Rydges Tradewinds Cairns (233 rooms and 12 suites) and Rydges Plaza Cairns (101 rooms).

Cairns Fertility Centre will kick-off Australia’s first real push into marketing the destination via health and wellness services.

Financial Director of Cairns Fertility Centre, Doug Yek said interest for their new facility has been strong with serious enquiry from as far afield as Dubai and as close to home as Weipa.

“As a destination for health and wellness tourism, Cairns is perfect. From a tourism
perspective, it is world class.

From an environmental perspective it is idyllic. Achieving successful outcomes in fertility treatment is often about mindset.

They are in a holiday location, therefore they are relaxed. Add to that, Australia’s high standard and quality of health care and Cairns becomes a truly viable destination for both domestic and international visitors considering a course of IVF treatment.

“One of the best things about IVF or fertility patients as visitors, is their health. In general, IVF patients will be required to stay in Cairns between two and three weeks. In between appointments, they will be no doubt be looking at ways to spend their time – essentially, in a prime position to tour and take in the city and region,” said Mr Yek.

The Light Group will operate four hospitality venues at the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter upon its opening in December. The new lineup consists of a nightclub, a lounge, a restaurant and a pool lounge. Union Restaurant & Lounge will offer a playful dinner menu featuring contemporary American cuisine. Executive Chef Brian Massie will offer unique interpretations of American favorites.

The design will feature a series of floor-to-ceiling architectural “trees,” in natural tones, as well as panoramic views of the casino.

The Deuce Lounge will fuse the elements of an upscale lounge with high-limit gaming. Designed by Franklin Studios, the space will invite its guests to try their luck on the numerous blackjack tables around the room while enjoying cocktails. The lounge also will feature a number of HD flat-screen TVs for guests to watch evening sporting events while enjoying hors d’oeuvres from Union’s kitchen.

Haze Nightclub will be a large space in which guests will be challenged to question their sense of perception and reality. Designed by Icrave, the nightclub will feature large, hanging props over the entryway that will draw guests to a grand staircase transporting them to the mezzanine level.

The main dance floor will peer up at a wall of interactive projection screens stretching 100 feet across on a performance structure, where impromptu acts will regularly take place. Liquid, the resort’s adult-only pool playground, open in spring 2010 with 17 cabanas, several dipping pools featuring underwater speakers, and multiple bars.

For more information, call 866-359-7757 or visit www.arialasvegas.com

The Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio has opened Altitude@37, a private entertaining venue, the final phase of a $65 million hotel renovation. Located on the 37th floor, Altitude@37 features sunset hues offset by dark wood and is accented with contemporary furnishings and details. Altitude@37 is ideal for private meetings and entertaining for parties up to 30 people.

For more information, call 800-445-8667 or visit www.waikikiprincekuhio.hilton.com

Visitors to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula can expect a quicker commute across Kachemak Bay between Homer and Seldovia next summer with the addition of an 83-foot fast ferry run by the Seldovia Village Tribe.

The two-deck, 150-passenger catamaran, the Kachemak Voyager, is scheduled to make two daily runs between Homer and Seldovia from May to September 2010.

Seldovia is one of the oldest settlements along Cook Inlet, once an important shipping and supply center for the region. Today, the town is home to roughly 300 residents and is a charming and picturesque destination known for its scenic hiking trails, beachcombing, fishing and berry picking.

Culture and history are evident in Seldovia, illustrated by interpretive signs placed about town.

The Alaska Tribal Cache features an interesting collection of Alaska Native and Russian artifacts and an ancient Russian Orthodox Church overlooks town. Currently, access to the town is available through the Alaska ferry system, water taxi, charter or boat tours or scheduled air service from Homer.

For more information on visiting Homer and Seldovia, visit www.homeralaska.org

or visit www.seldovia.com

Zipcar, the car sharing service, has outfitted nine Portland vehicles with complementary bike racks, and 40 vehicles with federal Northwest Forest Passes and/or Oregon State Park Passes. As with all Zipcars, these vehicles include gas, insurance and 180 miles of driving, and are parked in nearby, convenient locations.

Nine Zipcars — Subaru Imprezas and Outbacks — have been outfitted with Yakima bike racks through the fall season. Each rack holds two bikes.

In addition, 40 Zipcars have been outfitted with state and/or federal park passes, giving Zipsters free entrance and parking at local parks and forests.

The cars with passes include Honda CRVs, Honda Elements, Subaru Outbacks, and some Subaru Imprezas.

The bike racks already are in place, and will stay on cars through the fall.

For more information, visit www.zipcar.com

Vail Resorts, Inc. has unveiled an array of new mountain dining initiatives designed to offer high-quality food and values at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly this season.

Among the initiatives: on-mountain restaurants will serve a burger that features a freshly baked bun from Denver’s Harvest Moon Bakery; a fresh, Angus quarter-pound patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and organic white cheddar cheese; and a special signature sauce at last year’s prices.

The Epic Mountain Burger will have all the ingredients of the core burger but with two quarter-pound patties. Lunch for Less, a new value meal for $9.95, will include an entree, a side dish and a beverage.

The Lunch for Less meal will vary from day to day and from resort to resort but may include a wrap and soup one day or a pasta and salad the next, for example.

A new, pre-paid Mountain Meal Card will provide an extra 20 percent dollar value based upon the amount purchased. The 20 percent added value will only be available to those who pre-purchase the meal card online prior to arrival.

For guests who purchase the Mountain Meal Card at the resort, the card value will be for the exact dollar amount loaded.

The Appetite for Life program, which features healthy, all-natural food at lunchtime, will have new menu items this season, including an organic yogurt parfait served with granola and fruit and a grab-and-go lunch of natural and organic products.

Each item offered under the program will be identified with an AFL sticker. Additionally, gluten-free items will be identified with a GF designation.

For dinner, Vail Resorts’ fine dining restaurants are offering new celebratory and family-friendly options. Celebrate With Us invites guests to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions by offering complimentary beverage or dessert with the meal. The Family Friendly offer is designed to make dining with the kids more affordable and will include kid-friendly menu items that are reasonably priced.

For more information, call 800-404-3535 or visit www.snow.com or www.vailresorts.com

American Cruise Lines announced that the 104-passenger Independence will join its fleet of small ships for the 2010 season.

Currently under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., the Independence will be the fifth ship American Cruise Lines operates along the East Coast of the U.S. with destinations including Maine, New England, Hudson River, Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay, the historic South and Florida. With only a slightly larger passenger capacity than its two sister ships, the American Star and the American Spirit, the Independence will be a larger ship, allowing larger staterooms, private balconies and public areas.

The Independence will have the latest navigation and communication technology and will meet stringent safety and environmental standards.

The Independence will also be fully stabilized. The Independence will feature picture windows that open and roomy baths; 80 percent of the staterooms will have private balconies. Every stateroom will be fitted with flat-screen satellite TV and DVD players, individual climate control and wireless Internet access. The ship will have an elevator to all decks, lounges, an observation deck, a library and a glass-enclosed dining room. The Independence will enter service on June 12 with a maiden voyage on the Chesapeake Bay. Soon after, it will cruise the ports of New England, followed by the Hudson River and Historic South in the fall.

For more information, call 800-814-6880 or visit www.americancruiselines.com

SPOOKY TALES AND HALLOWEEN TOURS AND EVENTS

Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site in south east London is populated by some interesting ghostly characters and the scene of several sinister tales, many relating back to its royal connections and maritime history. Haunted locations include the Old Royal Naval College, Queen’s House, Greenwich Park and Greenwich Theatre. Said to be the spookiest night of the year, All Hallows Eve on 31 October is being marked in Greenwich by a series of events and ghosts walks… would you dare walk the streets alone?

Several spectres are said to inhabit the Old Royal Naval College, which isn’t surprising when we learn that there’s a 17th century operating theatre below Wren’s masterpiece – marks are still visible where surgeons are said to have sharpened their knives; and a morgue lies underneath James Stuart’s Infirmary, which now houses the University of Greenwich Library. The Victorian Skittle Alley is drenched in stories of phantom bowlers and skittle pickers, while in the table upon which Lord Nelson’s body once rested lies in the Nelson Room, off the Upper Painted Hall.

Admiral John Byng is one of Greenwich’s most well known ghosts; he was kept manacled to a wall in Queen Anne’s Court at the Old Royal Naval College, while awaiting his death by firing range in 1757 for failing in his duties at the Battle of Minorca during the seven years’ war. Witnesses say that he’s always a pleasant and helpful spectre holding doors open for people and assisting workmen.

Greenwich was once the location of a Roman encampment but can you imagine the surprise experienced by two workmen, who were removing an old boiler from below the College’s Jacobean undercroft, when they witnessed an entire legion of Roman soldiers in full uniform appear through a wall, march across the room, then disappear through the opposite wall. The boiler had been placed well under the original ground level, which accounts for the fact that their feet did not touch the stone floor.

Queen’s House Ghost

One of the famous documented photographs of ghostly figures was captured at the National Maritime Museum’s Queen’s House by Rev and Mrs Hardy on Sunday, 19 June 1966. A retired couple on holiday from Canada took a picture from the foot of the Tulip Staircase looking upward. When developed it revealed a shrouded figure that appeared to be ascending the stairs in pursuit of a second and possibly a third figure.

The spooky story of the White Lady at Greenwich Theatre is well documented and told by the local guides in their special Halloween walk. A ghostly figure dressed from her feet to her waist in white, thought to be an actress from the early 1900s, has often been seen drifting through the restaurant below the stage – her head and upper torso are not visible since the stage level was changed in post-war years.

And Greenwich Royal Park is not without its ghostly happenings. Metal pans have moved without apparent physical help in the Pavilion Tea Room and an apparition of a lady standing by a tree on Blackheath Avenue dressed in white period costume has often been seen.

A Walk on the Dark Side

Believers and non believers can hone their ghost hunting skills by joining a ghostly tour, A Walk on the Dark Side, on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, or Friday 13 November, with the Greenwich Tour Guides. Starting at 7.30pm, it costs £5 per person and explores the dark side to the history of Greenwich with tales of ghosts, murders and sinister events. Call 020 8244 3013 (www.greenwichtours.co.uk) to book a place.

As history guides they only talk about ghosts that are recorded or documented in some way such as Tom Potter, a young sailor who grew up in Greenwich in Dickensian times.

Many of the royal family met their fate in Greenwich during the reign of Henry VIII including his second wife Anne Boleyn. There was a rumour she was a witch because she had five fingers on one hand. It’s also said that the disgraced Queen’s lips were still moving in prayer as the executioner held up her severed head for all to see.

Ghostly Events

On the spookiest day of the year, Saturday 31 October, families are invited to dress in ghoulish costume and join in some free fun inside the haunted Queen’s House. Between 11.30am and 4pm it will be full of ghostly excitement with story-telling, workshops, performances, music and much more (suitable for all ages).

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich will be putting on a new show, Halloween Skies, in the Peter Harrison Planetarium over the weekend of 31 October and 1 November. Presented by an astronomer, it will explore what myths and superstitions connect the night sky and Halloween and why this spooky festival occurs on 31 October. Shows start at 12noon, 2.45pm and 5pm priced at £6 adults and £4 concessions (suitable for ages 5+).

Families can also follow the Halloween Prize Trail between 10am and 4.30pm over the same weekend, which leads through the Royal Observatory investigating aspects of astronomy with a Halloween theme (suitable for ages 7+). Or they can listen to a short talk, Howling at the Moon, about superstitions and spooky traditions associated with the moon in the Astronomy Centre. Held every half hour between 1.30pm and 4pm, it includes 15 minutes for questions and answers (suitable for ages 5+). Both these activities are free.

There is no charge for general admission into the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory; for further information call 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk

The Old Royal Naval College runs daily guided tours at 11.30am and 12pm from the Painted Hall, subject to demand, priced at £5 per adult and free for under 16s. In addition, the Yeomen can offer specialist evening tours relating to ghosts connected with the College. To book and for more information, call 020 8269 4799 (www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org)

On Thursday, 29 October The Fan Museum will be offering an evening of October Dreams: Candlelit tales for Halloween, a celebration in drama, stories and verse of the mysterious and the macabre for Halloween – the season of the witch. October Dreams will take audiences on an autumnal voyage back to a romantic age of flickering candlelight and sinister shadows where, in the glow of the Halloween pumpkin, they will experience the taste of fear. The evening will include newly dramatised readings of chilling tales from masters of the macabre, together with a witches’ brew of classic poetry, prose and ghostly anecdote, inspired by the most haunted night of the year. October Dreams starts at 7.30, tickets are £10 to include museum entry from 6.30pm and light refreshments; to book call 020 8305 1441, www.fan-museum.org

Visitors can recover from their ghostly encounters with some refreshments in the town centre’s thriving restaurants and bars or take some retail therapy in the vibrant covered market and unusual independent shops; there’s plenty of live entertainment to enjoy by night too and you might even discover a ghost or two of your own!

Maritime Greenwich is easily reached via the Docklands Light Railway alighting at Cutty Sark, or the Southeastern rail service from London Bridge. Alternatively visitors can travel by boat to Greenwich Pier. For further information and accommodation suggestions visit www.greenwichwhs.org.uk  or call Greenwich Tourist Information Centre on 0870 608 2000.

Christmasmarkets.com, the only internet directory providing comprehensive information about Christmas markets across the UK, Europe and beyond, recently launched its latest site release in perfect time to help visitors plan for the 2009 Christmas market season.

Since the inception of Christmasmarkets.com in 2006, the site has grown in tandem with the overall growth of the festive market sector. Today, the unrivalled site offers visitors valuable advance information on over 400 markets held in 22 countries between November and December, including events across the UK, the rest of Europe and even as far afield as Japan, Canada and the USA.

Last year, over half a million people visited Christmasmarkets.com to locate their event of choice, highlighting the increased level of interest in these unique events.

For 2009, the site features over 150 events in the UK alone, which include traditional season craft markets incorporating French, German or Italian traders, with venues ranging from town centres to stately homes.

Equally as popular as the ‘home-grown’ markets are Christmas markets across the English Channel. In particular, events in Germany, France and Belgium, provide the ideal opportunity to combine budget-friendly festive shopping trips with a relaxing weekend break either by Eurostar, ferry or air.

Many other European countries have adopted the Christmas market tradition, including Krakow in Poland, Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and of course the Swiss markets, notably Basle which is popular with German, French and UK visitors alike.

Comprehensive listings on these markets and many more can be found at www.christmasmarkets.com. The easy-to-use site presents information in a user-friendly format, with two styles of market listings available. The basic listings detail the location and dates of each market by country while the enhanced event profiles allow visitors to access full page features with detailed market descriptions, including open times, ticket prices, and transport tips.

The latest version of the site, released in August 2009, now offers visitors the opportunity to not only effortlessly locate their market of choice but also search for holiday deals, hotel accommodation and travel information.

New for 2009, Christmasmarkets.com users can register to receive message alerts flagging notification by market organisers of important event date or timing changes.

Due to its unrivalled network, all information provided is sourced direct from market organisers and tourist boards across the world, ensuring that all reasonable efforts have been taken to present users with up-to-date event details.

Visitors can even review their favourite Christmas market and also sign up to receive regular e-newsletters, covering the latest market trends, useful information and special offers.

From the website, Donna Kingsley said: “Christmasmarkets.com is the leading and unrivalled independent website for Christmas market related information. Featuring the most comprehensive listing of Christmas markets across the UK, Europe and even further afield, the site has rapidly become a major resource and one-stop portal for trade members, market traders, and the media alike – reinforcing the broad reach of the site.

“We are constantly developing the site in line with demand from our users and the latest release makes it even easier for consumers to locate their chosen festive markets, make travel arrangements and book hotel accommodation in one easy visit.”

SWISS First and SWISS Business guests flying from Hong Kong to Zurich will soon be enjoying new menus consisting of culinary delights; from tomorrow onwards, premium travellers on these flights will be offered meals created by Florian Trento, the Swiss executive chef at The Peninsula Hong Kong, the world-famous five-star hotel.

The new offerings make an innovative addition to the airline’s “SWISS Taste of Switzerland” inflight culinary programme, in which SWISS offers its customers meals, wines and other specialities from various regions of its home country, with each regional focus devised and presented in collaboration with a renowned local guest chef. Now, for the first time, the concept is being extended to inbound flights to Switzerland.

Under the new arrangement, meals created by Swiss executive chef Florian Trento of The Peninsula Hong Kong will be accompanying SWISS First and Business Class travellers for the next two years. The Peninsula, flagship of The Peninsula Hotels, offers luxury hotel accommodation at nine prime locations around the world.

So, SWISS’s partnership with The Peninsula is a collaboration of two strong brands that are both synonymous with outstanding quality, hospitality and innovative flair.

“We are delighted to have forged this new partnership with The Peninsula Hong Kong,” says Markus Binkert, SWISS’s head of product and services.

“With its excellent reputation, the hotel is an ideal complement to our existing “SWISS Taste of Switzerland” culinary programme; and with its Swiss executive chef Florian Trento, we can provide our First and Business.

Class guests with a unique ‘Asian-Swiss rendezvous’ at 30,000 feet.”

A new selection of Trento specialities will be offered every three months.

Chef Trento says: “We are thrilled to be SWISS’ first partner in Asia and to participate in what has proven to be a very successful concept, as well as to bring another ‘Taste of Switzerland’ on board SWISS flights through The Peninsula’s culinary creations”.

For further information and bookings please visit SWISS.COM/UK call SWISS on 0845 601 0956 or click the banner at right.