Jetsettersblog

Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, located in Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula, opened its door on Aug. 1.

The property is located in Savudrija, on the western Istrian coast. If features the first 18-hole golf course in Istria.

There is also full-service Carolea Spa. The hotel offers 186 rooms and suites (including two Presidential suites), one indoor and two outdoor pools, conference center, meeting rooms, Kempi Kids Club, two restaurants, four bars and more.

For more information, visit www.kempinski-adriatic.com

Casa Ceibo opened on Ecuador’s coast on Saturday, Oct. 24, with owners Charles Van Diver, a Destin, Fla., developer, and Daniel Jacome, a Galapagos guide and drummer for Ecuador’s top rock band, Tercer Mundo, hosting the ribbon-cutting party for 150 local and regional guests at Casa Ceibo in Bahia de Caraquez.

The co-owners hosted a second party the following Wednesday night in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. There, they introduced the luxury property to a crowd of 300, including tour operators, travel agents and media, plus commercial, industry and government leaders.

For Casa Ceibo’s grand opening, guests gathered in the reception area to hear Jacome’s welcome. After Ecuadorian national assemblyman, Dr. Leonardo Viteri, cut the red ribbon, Van Diver toasted eloquently to the Ecuadorian people, artisans who crafted and furnished Casa Ceibo, and artists whose works adorn the halls and guest rooms.

Other distinguished guest included Humberto Antonio Garcia, Alcalde del Canton San Vicente, Aura Herrera, Vicealcaldesa del Canton Sucre, Cristina Ruperti, Concejala del Canton Sucre and Graciela Guadamud, Representante de la Zona Note del Ministerio de Turismo.

For more information, visit www.casaceibo.com

Riu Hotels & Resorts on Oct. 30 celebrated the grand opening of the Riu Guanacaste, its first hotel in Costa Rica. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Costa Rica and Nobel Prize winner Oscar Arias Sanchez, as well as the Minister of Tourism Allan Flores, the Minister of Health Maria Luisa Avila, and the Minister of the Presidency Rodrigo Arias.

The new hotel is located on Matapalo beach in the region of Guanacaste. With 701 rooms, the new resort offers Riu’s 24-hour all-inclusive service, succulent cuisine in its four restaurants and an extensive offering for events in its five conference halls.

The hotel’s four restaurants present a wide array of options. ‘Liberia,’ its main restaurant, offers a buffet featuring international cuisine with dishes prepared right on the spot as well as themed dinners three times a week. The hotel also features three specialty à la carte restaurants:

‘Furama’ with Asian cuisine, ‘La Toscana’ with Italian cuisine and the Ocotal Grill-Steakhouse.

Furthermore, guests can enjoy cocktails, soft drinks and snacks in the hotel’s five bars.

The hotel features a large swimming pool for adults with a built-in Jacuzzi, and a pool for children.

The offering for the youngest guests is completed by a children’s playground and mini club, whereas adults are able to use the full-feature Renova spa in which the gym, sauna and Jacuzzi are free of charge.

Other features include the resort’s Pacha nightclub and casino. The Riu Guanacaste hotel boasts a large, flexible space for meetings equipped to host all types of events.

There are five halls in all, four of which measure 445 square meters and seat up to 120 people each, whereas the fifth one measures more than 900 square meters and can host events for up to 250 people. All of them have partitions and together can be turned into one single room for large-scale events of up to 730 people in its more than 2,700 square meters of space. Free wireless Internet access is available in the hotel lobby as well as in the convention center.

Guests can now book and manage reservations worldwide for any Swissôtel Hotel via mobile phones as the company’s mobile Web site was launched yesterday.

The Swissôtel mobile site is automatically redirected on any web-enabled mobile device from Swissôtel’s homepage, www.swissotel.com  Swissôtel’s mobile site features the following and more capabilities, available to all guests:

Find and book a hotel by location, view and book Swissôtel promotions, view or cancel a reservation, contact directory, and English and German support.

“We are very excited to introduce our guests to the mobile version of our website. Increased accessibility will allow us to reach a broader client base and will grant our guests the convenience of accessing the website anywhere, both at home and on the road, which has become essential in today’s increasingly mobile lifestyle” said Barbara Pezzi, director of webmarketing and e-commerce.

For more information, visit www.usablenet.com

In Jamaica, Couples Resorts is highlighting its amenities that help guests stay in shape while they’re on vacation.

The resorts offer such amenities as work-out facilities, vegetarian dining options and couples activity classes. “At Couples Resorts, we are trying to help our guests by creating an environment where they can renew their mind, body, spirit and relationships, with healthy options, fun new exercise experiences and couples activity classes that help them grow closer,” said Randy Russell, chief romance officer, and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Couples Resorts,

All of the Couples Resorts properties offer fitness centers, but Couples Swept Away’s 10-acre fitness complex in Negril is one of the largest in Jamaica. Each fitness center features classes taught by instructors from Fitbodies in New York, who specialize in body shaping, yoga, Pilates and abdominal workouts.

Other popular classes for those looking to grow a little closer are Soca dance classes, cocktail mixology and the Couples Resorts signature massage course. Here, couples learn the art of a romantic massage and how to help their partner relax after a hard workout.

Finally, those looking to work-out on the court instead of in the gym can play a little tennis with one of Couples Resorts’ visiting international tennis instructors from Professional Tennis Registry.

The pros at this global organization of tennis teachers and coaches visit the resorts in Ocho Rios and Negril to conduct camps and classes on a regular basis.

Guests looking to stick with a lighter diet while traveling will find it easy to do so thanks to Couples Resorts Corporate Executive Chef Stefan Spath. Spath has ensured that at least 85 percent of the ingredients used at Couples Resorts are either locally grown in Jamaica, or come from the organic gardens at each of the resorts. In addition to organic options at each of the properties’ gourmet restaurants, guests can also find healthy meals and snacks at any of the resorts’ veggie bars.

Couples Resorts veggie bars feature items like lemony hummus, spinach and sun-dried tomato wraps, palm heart dip and invigorating smoothie recipes designed to detoxify and reenergize the body.

For a full listing of each property’s menu and activity options that will help travelers keep their New Year’s resolution, visit www.couples.com

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its new destination sensation brand, Aloft Hotels, announced the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi, the first Aloft hotel to open in the Middle East and the only hotel in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Ten years after Starwood Hotels and Resorts shook up the hotel industry with the launch of W Hotels, the innovative hotel giant has again reinvented hotel design with the debut of its newest brand, Aloft Hotels.

Featuring loft-like guest rooms, a bar scene in the open lobby, an urban-inspired grab-and go café and industrial design elements throughout,

Aloft delivers urban-influenced, modern and vibrant design at an affordable price point.

The debut of Aloft Abu Dhabi highlights the strategic international expansion of the Aloft brand.

Aloft Abu Dhabi introduces style at a steal to the region with 408 loft-like rooms, accessible technology and a vibrant, social atmosphere.

Aloft offers atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mix communal lobby area and w xyz bar.

The re:charge fitness center and splash pool give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, while re:fuel by Aloft offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab and go, 24 hours a day.

First-time visitors to Aloft will immediately understand that Aloft is different from any other hotel experience. Guests are greeted by special features and visually distinctive iconic structures on the exterior, including a colorful, sloping signature carport cover and building roof-line, and colorful glowing linear light sources on the building facade inspired by the notion of travel and motion.

Aloft guest rooms feature the brand’s signature ceilings of nearly three meters high, oversized windows and an ultra-comfortable bed, as well as roomy walk-in showers and bath amenities created by Bliss Spa.

Each Aloft room is equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access and a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry all linked to a 42-inch flat-panel, HDTV-ready television, making it a combination high-tech office and entertainment center in one.

The new hotel is linked directly to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), a micro-city consisting of premium office towers, luxury hotels and residences, restaurants, shopping and a marina. The hotel will even provide guests direct access to the soon-to-open Re:lax@12 rooftop bar, Mai Restaurant and Bar and Dine Restaurant — all located on site. Ideally positioned right next to the Capital Centre district, Aloft Abu Dhabi is close to numerous embassies and corporate offices, 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH) has appointed luxury hotel group The Rocco Forte Collection to manage The Shepheard Hotel in Cairo as a five-star hotel within their renowned brand after their assistance in the full renovation of the hotel.

This is the fourth management contract win for The Rocco Forte Collection in the Middle East and North Africa after Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Marrakech.

The Shepheard Hotel is owned by EGOTH, a subsidiary of The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema, HOTAC, one of the region’s largest hotel-owning companies that already works with several other leading hotel brands.

The company’s plans are in place to convert the 279-room Shepheard Hotel, strategically located along the Nile River in downtown Cairo, to a full-fledged Rocco Forte Collection Hotel after an extensive renovation period.

The hotel was founded by an Englishman named Samuel Shepheard in 1841 and became the leading hotel in Cairo for much of the 20th century.

The original hotel was destroyed by fire twice, once in 1891 and again in 1952, then rebuilt on the banks of the Nile in 1957, where it remains operating today.

The Rocco Forte Collection team will take on temporary management of The Shepheard Hotel as of November 2009, running it outside of its main brand.

The hotel will then close for total refurbishment and renovations. EGOTH and The Rocco Forte Collection will start work immediately on plans to restore and renovate The Shepheard to its former glory and make it once again one of the best luxury hotels in the region. George Freeman and Associates of London have been appointed as the interior designers for the project and British company 3D Reid for architecture.

The refurbished Shepheard will emerge as a luxury hotel within The Rocco Forte Collection brand in 2012 offering 275 elegant bedrooms, state-of-the-art facilities, outstanding design and the latest technology complemented by the highest standards of service and attention to detail.

The renovation will commence in December 2010 to finish at the end of 2012.

For more information, visit www.roccofortecollection.com

Washington-based Noble House Hotels & Resorts announced the addition of the newly launched, $130 million La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa to its expanding collection of acclaimed destination properties that include the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif.; Mountain Lodge in Telluride, Colo.; Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys; and The Edgewater in Seattle.

The 445-room property, offering all suite and villa configurations, is in the process of being rechristened La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa.

Plans are also underway to further enhance elements of the property.

An hour drive north of downtown Houston, and 40 minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on 22,000-acre Lake Conroe, La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa is the first Houston-area property under Noble House’s management.

The resort also features the portfolio’s largest meeting and event component: a dedicated, 70,000-square-foot conference center with lake views; state-of-the-art technological capabilities; striking, two-story grand lobby; two 10,000-square-foot ballrooms; plus numerous dining and entertainments outlets.

Noble House Hotels & Resorts was selected after an intensive search by French Quarter VIII, LLP. The group, which oversaw the ground-up, two-year renovation of the expansion — completed in spring 2009 — of the former Del Lago Resort will continue to own the property. Situated on a 170-acre peninsula framed by stands of mature pine trees, a championship golf course recently redesigned by Robert Von Hagge protégé Jeffrey D. Blume, and numerous inlets, the project has brought renewed interest to the waterfront community of Montgomery, Texas.

La Torretta Lake Resort will feature Chez Roux, the first stand-alone restaurant in the United States from Master Chef Albert Roux of London.

The signature, fine-dining venue overlooking Lake Conroe boasts the only working chef in Texas.

Additional property highlights include a world-class, 17,000-square-foot, eco-chic spa with 20 treatments areas; 10,000-square-foot fitness center with racquetball, fully-equipped circuit and weight training areas, plus Pilates, spin and yoga studios; tennis center with five courts; 300-slip marina; 18-hole miniature golf course; recreation areas for children and teens; and 3.5-acre Aqua Park with sandy beach, five swimming and activity pools and Lay-Z River Rapids.

For more information, call 936-448-4400 or visit www.latorrettadellagoresortandspa.com

OVER 20 RESORTS AND ACTIVITIES COMPANIES ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF VITI LEVU HAVE UNITED TO FORM FIJI’S ‘PACIFIC COAST’

Over 20 resorts and activity companies on the southern coast of Viti Levu and surrounding islands have united to form an exciting new branded region known as the ‘Pacific Coast,’ hailed to be the new adventure capital of Fiji.

This unique destination includes several established resorts ranging from luxury to flash-packer, including several island resorts.

Resorts located on the ‘Pacific Coast’ include the five-star Taunovo Bay Resort & Spa, the Pearl South Pacific Resort, Spa & Championship Golf Course, Crusoe’s Retreat, Uprising Beach Resort, Royal Davui Island Resort, Mango Bay Resort, Beqa Lagoon Resort, Lalati Resort & Spa, Batiluva Beach Resort, Club Oceanus, Tsulu Luxury Backpackers, Tiri Villas and Waidroka Bay Surf & Dive Resort.

Adventure activities available on the Pacific Coast include diving Beqa Lagoon (one of the soft coral capitals of the world) white water rafting and sea kayaking, zip lining the rain forest canopy, jet ski safaris, game fishing, surfing Frigates Passage, private island trips to Nanuku Island, 18 holes of championship golf, shopping and more.

Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto is in full support of the new branding for this unique area and states commenting, “This marks a new beginning for Fiji’s Pacific Coast. Tourism Fiji will assist where possible to highlight some of the unique selling points for this special region.”

Information: www.pacificcoastfiji.com

Qantas has opened its new Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, offering customers new levels of comfort and design.

The new lounge builds on the design of the Qantas International Business Lounges around the world, according to Lesley Grant, executive manager customer and marketing.

It has contemporary furniture, an improved comfort and seating layout and 14 individual workstations each equipped with a PC, complimentary wireless access, and power and data points are located throughout the lounge.

The new Business Lounge will replace the current Business Lounge in Hong Kong which opened in 1998. The First Lounge in Hong Kong is currently being expanded and refurbished, due to open next month in its existing location.

For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au/US