Jetsettersblog

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong launched its Horizon Club Lounge on Dec. 7 on level 56 of the hotel.

At over 2,700 square feet, the HK$30 million ($3.8 million) Horizon Club will become a hallmark of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.

The lounge, which is the highest in the city, connects to an outdoor landscaped area, which is the only venue of its kind in Hong Kong.

Available exclusively to guests residing on the dedicated Horizon Club floors from levels 52 to 55, the Horizon Club lounge offers a higher caliber of personalized service, complimentary continental breakfast and additional breakfast options at the adjacent Michelin-starred Restaurant Petrus, as well as evening cocktails and Champagne.

Each guest will be greeted individually, escorted to their room and welcomed with Chinese tea. The Horizon Club guestrooms will feature a jack panel for computer and iPod, butler-call button, espresso machine as well as an entertainment system comprising a DVD player and a flat-screen television.

Other luxury features include tea or coffee served with wake-up calls, daily international newspapers, a television in the bathroom, a crystal chandelier, rain shower, Frette linen, premium toiletries and complimentary broadband internet access.

Among the on-site services of the Horizon Club Lounge is a meeting room with views of Victoria Harbour which accommodates up to eight persons, an intimate corner library and complimentary wireless Internet access.

The adjoining outdoor space of approximately 1,600 square feet is furnished and landscaped with lush tropical greenery and offers prime views of Victoria Peak.

For more information, call 212-382-3155 or visit www.shangri-la.com

Contiki Holidays, a specialist in escorted tours for 18- to 35-year-olds, launched an auction website which lets customers bid on various international and domestic vacation packages.

The site is set to go live Dec. 8, at www.contiki.com/auction

 Contiki will open the bidding at $0.99 on its most-popular vacation itinerary, the 14-day European Discovery. This package ordinarily sells at a retail price of approximately $2,220 per person. After the introductory $0.99 minimum, hopeful bidders have one week until the deadline on Dec. 15, 2009, at which point the highest bidder wins the trip.

There is no minimum reserve requirement and the winning bid reflects the final price for that vacation.

“Realizing our travelers are dollar-wise, technologically savvy and always looking for fun places to go, Contiki Holidays proudly offers the new online auction service,” said Contiki President Greg “Fish” Fischbein.

“In the spirit of the holidays, we bring the gift of European travel for less than a cup of eggnog.”

The European Discovery is a two-week trip taking travelers through London, Amsterdam, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Paris.

The trip includes an expert tour guide, transportation, accommodations, daily meals, local sightseeing, and optional activities.

Contiki has been in business for 45 years, providing vacation experiences for students and young professionals ages 18 to 35. The operator offers more than 190 itineraries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. For more information, visit www.contiki.com

The Rezidor Hotel Group, the Brussels-based hotel management company, announced the opening of the Radisson Blu Milan.

The 250-key property is the first Radisson Blu in Milan and its second property in Italy.

Previously the Chedi Milan, the hotel is situated in the Bovisa district just north of the city center and minutes from Milan’s major trade fairs. Interiors at the Radisson Blu Milan were designed by Indonesian firm Jaya & Associates and offer a serene “Asia-meets-Italy” aesthetic.

Guestrooms feature warm earth tones complimented by bronze and white accents, full limestone bathrooms, flat-screen televisions and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

The hotel also offers a full-service spa with indoor swimming pool; a restaurant, bar and lounge with indoor and outdoor seating; and over 8,600 square feet of meeting and conference space.

For more information and reservations, visit the banner below.

The Rezidor Hotel Group announced two new Park Inn hotels.

The Park Inn Luxembourg City featuring 99 rooms is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2010, and the Park Inn Abeokuta in Nigeria with 173 rooms will welcome the first guests in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The Park Inn Luxembourg City enjoys a prime location in the city center of Luxembourg, which is linked to 30 cities via high-speed train and is the gateway for the majority of visitors to Luxembourg.

Besides 99 colorful guest rooms, the new-build property will offer a restaurant and bar, a meeting room, a fitness room and a parking. The hotel is part of a mixed-use building including retail units on the ground floor.

The Park Inn Abeokuta follows recent signings Rezidor has made in the emerging market of Nigeria — the group already develops hotels in the capital city Abuja and in Lagos. Abeokuta (meaning “under the rocks”) is a major commercial center in Ogun State, 75 kilometers north of Lagos.

Thanks to some of the most fertile farmland in West Africa, the city has historically been a major agricultural producer, and has subsequently embraced tourism and commercial development.

The city’s existing Gateway Hotel will be completely renovated into a modern Park Inn property with 173 guest rooms, a signature RBG Bar & Grill, meeting space including a ballroom and auditorium, a swimming pool, a gym and retail shops. For more information, visit www.parkinn.com

A development plan first conceived in 1975, and under construction for the past year, has become a reality at Greek Peak Mountain Resort.

The addition of Hope Lake Lodge, a 106-unit four-star condo hotel; Waterfalls Spa, a 5,500-square-foot Feng Shui-designed international spa; and the 41,000-square-foot Cascades Indoor Waterpark have transformed the popular ski destination into a family-friendly four-season resort.

Green features such as enhanced energy efficiency, water conservation, locally made sustainable furniture, and advanced VRV heating/cooling systems have all been blended into the elegant Northwoods design of the resort.

The five-story, Northwoods-style luxury condominiums at Hope Lake Lodge each have a full kitchen and a fireplace.

The four-star condominiums are available for quarter-share purchase or for more traditional hotel stays.

Amenities also include a state-of-the-art fitness center, restaurant, cafe, and lounge.

Greek Peak’s ski center boasts 32 trails, six aerial lifts, two surface lifts, a beginners’ slope, three Terrain Parks, and a full-service Nordic Center, the mountain appeals to ski enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience.

For more information or reservations, visit www.GreekPeakMtnResort.com

Sugar Ridge, a boutique resort that opened this month on the island of Antigua, officially opened the Sugar Club restaurant.

Sugar Club, the resort’s main restaurant, is the social epicenter of the resort. Executive Chef Marvis Brade’s menu takes a modern approach to Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine.

The menu features a variety of appetizers, salads, tapas, grilled pizzas, healthy wraps and sandwiches, elegant main dishes, sushi and desserts.

In addition to indoor dining, guests may choose to dine on the verandah, overlooking the swimming pool.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sugar Club is designed to be an informal yet elegant restaurant.

Sugar Ridge is perched upon its namesake hillside bordered with sugar cane and flora and fauna.

The resort features 60 rooms that wrap around the property, featuring panoramic views to the south and west of the sea, plus the neighboring islands of Redonda, St. Kitts and Nevis.

All accommodations feature outdoor lounge areas, private decks and modern conveniences such as wireless Internet, LCD flat-screen televisions and iPod docking stations.

The resort has two swimming pools, the island’s first Aveda Concept Spa, salon, fitness center, pilates/yoga studio and shopping arcade.

A marina and an 18-hole golf course are a three-minute drive away and accessed by the hotel’s private shuttle.

For more information, call 866-591-4881 or visit www.sugarridgeantigua.com

The newly opened Bristol Buenaventura, located on the beach in Panama in a gated resort community, plans to open a new Corotú Spa on Dec. 18.

The nearly 8,000-square-foot facility features five treatment rooms, a lounging and relaxation area, sauna, steam room, deluge shower and fitness room.

The new spa sanctuary will offer a number of holistic treatments, with a focus on utilizing natural and indigenous Panamanian ingredients, such as volcanic sand, honey, palm fruit (Pixbae) and other seasonal fruits, specifically designed to ease the body after a day of outdoor activities or fun in the sun.

Signature treatments at the new spa include a 90-minute magnetism body polish, which begins with an energizing and exfoliating rub using Buenaventura’s iron-rich volcanic sand, followed by a mineral clay application to revive the skin and ending with a hydrating cream and facial massage using semi-precious gems.

Other signature treatments include the 90-minute Pixbae Wrap using palm fruit and banana leaves, the Buenaventura Body massage and the 45-minute Coclé Facial, which utilizes ingredients such as coffee, native herbs, honey and seasonal fruits to clean, tone, relax and moisturize the skin.

The spa menu offers a unique selection of massages, wraps, facials and salon services at a wide range of prices, as well as a full line of treatments tailored specifically for men.

With a spa philosophy committed to relaxation, health, beauty and wellness, the new Corotú Spa reflects a well-balanced blend of traditional techniques, ancient philosophy and modern technologies, making it an ideal retreat after a long day.

Located 80 minutes southwest of Panama City, the Bristol Buenaventura opened in February 2009.

The property features 114 guest rooms and suites, including three Ocean Suites and two Bristol Suites, as well as 18 four-bedroom lagoon villas.

It’s a six-minute walk to the El Faro Club House, complete with direct access to the beach and a private beachside butler service.

Four restaurants — Tamarindo Restaurant, Terraza Caobos, Alfresco and Tagua Grill — are located on the property grounds and provide guests with a variety of cuisines, from Latin-Fusion to traditional Panamanian.

The hotel also features a five treatment room spa, fitness center and just over 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Corotú Spa is open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Reservations can be made through the spa concierge by calling (507) 908 3333 or by e-mail at spaconcierge@thebristol.com

For more information, visit www.thebristol.com/buenaventura

The wine-themed exhibition center is to be opened in France’s biggest wine-producing region in 2013. Bordeaux hopes the center will become a powerful regional symbol dedicated to culture and tourism.

Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux, went on a road show through the vineyards of Bordeaux with Laurent Gapenne, vice president of the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB), and Laurent Courbu, president of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce.

The project objective is to create a lively place to visit, symbolizing the city and the region, and will highlight the history of wine and its cultural impact. With 400,000 visitors anticipated per year, this new center will direct tourists to the points of interest in the vineyard.

For more information, visit www.centreculturelduvin.com

Following the 2008 year-long Cape Grace refashioning, The Spa at Cape Grace has undergone a facelift of its own.

Now incorporating a sense of place more than ever, the existing Spice Route theme has been expanded so that guests can truly indulge in the mysteries of the spices.

Based on Vasco Da Gama’s voyages and trade with exotic lands, The Spa has embraced this history with its new signature 90-minute treatment, Spice Journey, which takes guests on a journey from India to Kenya, Tanzania to Madagascar and Mozambique to South Africa.

Beginning with a musk and sandalwood Pre-Treatment Rub to relax the muscles and a Fruit Butter Emulsion Scrub to exfoliate the skin, the Spice Journey treatment incorporates a hydrating Honey Soft Earth Mud and a Showergel with tamarind and lemon, before finishing with a Massage Butter, containing Kigelia Africana, Rooibos and Aloe vera, and a refreshing Body Mist Spray.

In celebration of the reopening, the Spa at Cape Grace has also unveiled a new product line, Skin Sphere, with signature products in the body range (including the Spice Journey treatment) and new amenities created with signature scents. This new spa range is made entirely of plant extracts and is not tested on animals.

Cape Grace is owned by Kingdom Meikles Africa Hotel Group. Nestled in Cape Town’s Waterfront, the gracious sanctuary of Cape Grace embraces tradition, sophistication and contemporary comfort.

The luxurious spaciousness of the refashioned Cape-influenced guestrooms and suites, the diversity of amenities and the unsurpassed standards in service, both proficient and personal, have all ensured Cape Grace is a favorite for many returning guests.

For more information about the Spa at Cape Grace, visit www.capegrace.com/services/spa.

For more information on Cape Grace, visit www.capegrace.com

Cedar Court Hotels are on schedule to complete their conversion of the old Grade Two listed railway headquarters in Station Rise, York, as work continues on a £10 million ($16 million) restoration project. Old fixtures and fittings at the 1906 landmark are being ripped out and work has now started on the luxurious new bedrooms, bathrooms, function rooms, restaurants and bars, while carefully retaining the building’s distinctive architecture.

The hotel, which plans to open in spring 2010, will have 107 rooms and will include a swimming pool, gym and Jacuzzi as well as an open-air roof garden, accessible from the main bar. Developers Cedar Court are confident that the new Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa will get five-star status, making it York’s first five-star hotel.

For more information, visit www.cedarcourthotels.co.uk